Who We Are
Martin County HUGS is a collaborative effort between Alzheimer’s Community Care and the Council on Aging of Martin County at the Kane Center to make Martin County a Dementia Friendly Community.
What We Do
We provide opportunities, education and awareness to Martin County citizens so that everyone may be able to respond to families living with dementia in a way that is kind and understanding.
Why Should I Care
Because
approximately 6,500 Martin County residents have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and;
Because
the majority of these are living at home and being cared for by family caregivers and;
Because
Martin County citizens should be able to provide Help, Understanding, Guidance and Safety to their neighbors and family members living with the disease and their caregivers.
Dementia Friendly America (DFA)
DFA is a national network of communities, organizations and individuals seeking to ensure that communities across the U.S. are equipped to support people living with dementia and their caregivers. Dementia friendly communities foster the ability of people living with dementia to remain in community and engage and thrive in day to day living.
To learn more about Dementia Friendly America and how you can help.
Dementia Care & Cure Initiative (DCCI)
In August 2015, the Department of Elder Affairs announced the Dementia Care and Cure Initiative to engage communities across the state to be more dementia friendly, promote better care for Floridians affected by dementia, and support research efforts to find a cure. With approximately 510,000 individuals currently living with Alzheimer’s disease, Florida has the second highest incidence of Alzheimer’s in the nation – only behind California. Florida is projected to have more than 720,000 individuals with Alzheimer’s disease in the next 10 years. These figures do not include other forms of dementia or the hundreds of thousands who serve as caregivers. Florida seeks to lead the nation in response to the increasing incidence of dementia by implementing a statewide effort to become more dementia friendly – taking action to support those diagnosed with dementia and their caregivers – bettering communities and the state overall.
