The Swampscott For All Ages Committee met Tuesday night to further their discussion on their Dementia Friendly Initiative.
The initiative, tentatively titled Forget-Me-Not, is an effort to make respect and inclusion for seniors with dementia and other memory-impairing disabilities more of a priority for Swampscott businesses.
Last December, Swampscott Council on Aging received approximately $7,000 in grant funds from the Massachusetts Council on Aging to develop the initiative, in which organizations take active measures to better accommodate those affected.
Cafe Avellino, Mission on the Bay, and Periwinkles Food Shoppe are three examples of establishments slated to participate in the movement when it officially begins later this year. Participating businesses will be trained by the Purple Table Reservation program, which trains staff on how to be more sensitive to and help customers with multiple forms of disabilities. In some instances, clients of a participating restaurant can make a “purple table reservation,” indicating that the party has someone who needs special accommodations. However, disclosure and any further details of the condition are optional.
Tuesday’s meeting discussions about expanding the initiative to encompass more than just memory-related ailments included physically disabled individuals as well. The committee is currently putting a checklist together of recommended amenities for businesses to follow to comply best. Council on Aging Director Heidi Whear, who works directly with the committee, said she envisions participating establishments displaying the Forget-Me-Not logo outside to show they are dementia-friendly.
“Say you want to take your loved one out who hasn’t been to a restaurant in so long because you’re afraid that they’ll get agitated or wander away,” Whear said. “So what we’re trying to do is work with local restaurants, or a beauty parlor, or a nail salon to help them become more age and dementia friendly.”
Whear added that she and the committee’s plan is to send a letter town-wide to all businesses to gauge their interest when the time comes.
