In 2014 SLR (Senior Living Residences) tapped into a worldwide initiative that began in the UK, called Dementia Friendly so that we could do our part in spreading the movement across our state and eventually throughout the US. We are very proud that we are the first organization on the east coast, and one of the pioneers in the US, to take on this initiative. The mission of our Dementia Friendly project is to give cities and towns the tools to train their first responders, public officials, healthcare providers, business owners and the general public about dementia. In 2014, we developed and piloted our own Dementia Friendly initiative at Armbrook Village in partnership with the City of Westfield, MA. This put Westfield on the map as the first US city on the east coast to commit to becoming dementia friendly. Now our communities work to spread the movement in their respective areas. Our focus is on training families, caregivers, emergency responders, students, municipal staff, hospital workers, nurses, private businesses, elder care professionals and all of you!