Visit a Dementia Friendly Business Near You

You’re on vacation in Thailand and you wander, ravenous, into a restaurant. They speak no English and you certainly speak no Thai. You stare at the menu. Wouldn’t it be great if – just for a moment – the words on the page would turn to English?

That experience happens daily for people with dementia, except they’re not on vacation and they’re not having fun. They’re simply trying to get on with life in their hometown. Big menus with lots of options sound great, except when you don’t understand them. You feel embarrassed as the waitress stands over you, wanting to get on to her other customers. Finally, you point to someone at a nearby table and say, “I’ll have what he’s having.”

Wouldn’t it be fantastic if the waitress, sensing your hesitation, offered you a few options, like a sandwich or a hot dish and then continued to help you narrow it down? Or what if she had a short, easy-to-read menu – maybe it’s called “Chef’s Favorites” – with photos to help? The goal of Dementia Friendly Business training is to help local businesses understand dementia and recognize ways they can make life easier for people with dementia and their caregivers.

A number of businesses in Orange County have gone through training and many more are on track to do so. They include:

  • The Animal Hospital of Carrboro
  • Cameron’s
  • Carrboro Family Pharmacy
  • Chapel Hill-Carrboro YMCA
  • Chapel Hill Chamber of Commerce
  • Chapel Hill Public Library
  • Fidelity Bank of Chapel Hill
  • Jersey Mike’s
  • Keller Williams
  • Law Office of Colin K. Austin
  • Maitland Law Firm
  • Walgreens

Click here to see the most current list of businesses that have been certified.