Congratulations to Dementia Inclusive Kiama who celebrated their 10th anniversary on 7 November,, a significant milestone in advocacy and learning for our community. The initiative has successfully paved the way forward in creating dementia-friendly environments.

Kiama has emerged as a leader in developing and fostering a community that embraces and supports individuals living with dementia, setting an example for towns and cities across the country and beyond. 

The anniversary event highlighted the core principles of the initiative: building awareness, creating trusted relationships, and prompting environmental, intellectual and emotional support within the community. 

Dementia Inclusive Kiama’s vision goes beyond just providing services - it is about creating a dementia-friendly culture that encourages inclusion and participation. This approach involves educating the community, from local business to schools, on how to support individuals living with dementia. 

The project also promotes intergenerational collaboration, bringing together young and old to create a deeper understanding of dementia and its effects on the individuals and families. 

The project has seen incredible success in driving awareness through national and global collaboration. Earlier this year, Dementia Inclusive Kiama welcomed a group of healthcare professionals  from South Korea to explore innovative strategies and implementation into the community. 

Held at Kiama Anglican Church, the celebration kicked off with a free educational workshop and talk given by Kate Swaffer and Dennis Frost, who both live with dementia. The key speakers shared stories about their involvement in the project and how the project contributes to their work and community impacts. 

The afternoon session shifted focus to celebrating and sharing stories around what the project had achieved over the decade-long effort, followed by the cake cutting. The speakers went on to discuss the success so far as well as the next steps. Dr. Lyn Phillipson and Kate Swaffer were crucial to establishing the project in 2014, at the time Kate was the first person with dementia to be employed by Alzheimer’s Australia (now Dementia Australia)

The second phase now involves graduating from ‘dementia-friendly’ to ‘dementia enabling’. The project will continue to engage people living with dementia and increase membership of the Dementia Advisory Group.  

As Kiama continues to lead the way in creating dementia-inclusive environments, the 10th anniversary serves as a celebration for the work already done to create truly inclusive communities where everyone, regardless of age or ability, is valued and supported.