Participants of Dementia Australia’s “working towards becoming a Dementia-Friendly organisation” with their commitment certificates: Fr Michael Twigg and Year 12 students (Iona College) Glenys Petrie and John Quinn (BSEDA) Lisa Atwood (Brisbane City Council) Dr Theresa Scott (UQ) Debbie Brittain (QAGOMA). Photo: Supplied.
At a recent event, Dementia Australia acknowledged a host of organisations that are working together to make Brisbane a dementia-friendly city in the lead up to the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Brisbane City Council, Queensland Art Gallery and Gallery of Modern Art (QAGOMA), University of Queensland’s Healthy Living Centre and Iona College have all committed to driving this important initiative.
Dementia Australia CEO, Maree McCabe, said everyone involved was to be commended for their leadership in working towards a dementia-friendly city and for the visionary commitment to creating a dementia-friendly Brisbane 2032.
“It is alliances like the Brisbane South-East Dementia Alliance that are the catalysts for change,” Ms McCabe said.
The Alliance, led by dementia advocates John Quinn and Glenys Petrie, has been working with Brisbane City Council and the other organisations over the past few years to inspire them to commit to becoming more dementia-friendly and inclusive of people living with dementia, their families and carers.
Mr Quinn, who is living with dementia, said, “It has been a privilege to work so closely with all these organisations and I am so excited to see how this will evolve as we all work together towards Brisbane 2032”.
He continued, “I thank the federal government for continuing to fund the Dementia-Friendly Communities program that has enabled our Alliance to engage across so many sectors to bring about this milestone achievement today”.
“With 70% or more of people with dementia living in the community it is our responsibility to be inclusive of people with dementia, to value their contributions and to respect their rights to access the services and activities we all expect to enjoy,” Ms McCabe said.
This commitment has the power to change the way we think about dementia and enable and empower people to live well with dementia.
For more information about the Dementia Australia Dementia-Friendly Communities program visit www.dementiafriendly.org.au.
