What’s In 

Using person-centered language 
➡️ Saying “person living with dementia” or “people with memory loss.” 

Becoming a Dementia Friend 
➡️ Learning simple, practical ways to support people living with dementia and taking everyday actions that help build dementia-friendly communities. 

Community engagement 
➡️ Memory Cafes, dementia choirs, dementia-friendly museum tours and theaters. 

Recognizing dementia as a multigenerational issue 
➡️ Understanding that dementia affects every generation—from children and teenagers to working-age adults and older adults—and that everyone has a role in fostering dementia-friendly communities. 

Creating dementia-friendly environments 
➡️ Clear signage, good lighting, quiet areas and trained staff. 

Patience and understanding 
➡️ Allowing extra time, reducing pressure and offering calm reassurance. 

Promoting brain health and early detection 
➡️ Encouraging screenings, social connection, physical activity and healthy habits. 


What’s Out

Stigmatizing language 
⛔ Words like “demented,” “senile” or defining someone solely by their diagnosis. 

Overstimulating environments 
⛔ Busy patterns, poor lighting and overwhelming noise. 

Rushing, correcting or dismissing 
⛔ “I just told you that.” 
⛔ “You’re wrong.” 
⛔ “Calm down.” 

Assuming inability 
⛔ Jumping in to do tasks a person can still do with support. 

Fear-based messaging 
⛔ Framing dementia only as decline rather than including capability and personhood. 

One-size-fits-all approaches 
⛔ Ignoring dementia experiences and needs. 

Confusing communication 
⛔ Small print, jargon-heavy language or unclear instructions.