Porter Place, Tinley Park Announce Dementia Friendly Initiative

TINLEY PARK, IL — The Village of Tinley Park has partnered with Anthem Memory Care's Porter Place to become a Dementia Friendly Community.

The village signed a proclamation joining Porter Place, an Anthem Memory Care community, in their commitment to improve the journey of persons with dementia and their support systems. They are part of Dementia Friendly America, a national initiative to ensure communities across the U.S. are equipped to support people living with dementia and their caregivers.

According to Porter Place, more than five million Americans and 15 million caregivers are living with Alzheimer’s disease.

“Dementia and Alzheimer’s are a growing public health concern locally and nationwide. It’s a very emotional issue for the growing number of families affected by the disease,” said Meredith Morris, Porter Place community relations director. “The more work we can do to educate the public and increase understanding of the disease, the more support there will be for the individuals with the disease and the families who care for them.”

The initiative is a two-year process that will involve working with the entire community including chamber of commerce members, law enforcement, first responders, faith communities and more. Only 18 communities have this designation in Illinois, according to Porter Place.

“As Americans are living longer and staying active more than ever, we are witnessing an increased prevalence of Alzheimer’s and dementia. Many in our community, including myself and other trustees, know first-hand the toll the disease takes on loved ones,” said William Brennan, Tinley Park Village Trustee. “We are proud to join Porter Place in championing the effort to make Tinley Park a better place and encourage all residents and businesses to join us.”

The Dementia Friendly Tinley Park Kickoff will be held from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., Wednesday, at Village Hall, Kallsen Center at 16250 S. Oak Park Avenue, Tinley Park. Susan Frick, MSW, LSW, Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center, will discuss “Dementia Friendly Initiatives in Illinois” and Colleen Kamin, LNHA, CDP, Executive Director, Porter Place Memory Care, will offer a “Dementia Recognition and Interaction Workshop.”

The event is free and open to the public. First responders, law enforcement, businesses, faith leaders, friends and family of people with dementia are encouraged to attend. For more information about the kickoff event, please contact Meredith Morris at mmorris@anthemmemorycare.com or 708-781-1050.

Porter Place is operated by Anthem Memory Care.