Ten communities, including Arlington, and their lead organizations have been awarded a grant from ACT on Alzheimer’s to closely consider how best to prepare their communities for the impacts of Alzheimer’s and other dementias and to work toward community-wide support of people touched by the disease.

The communities are in six rural areas: Arlington (City of Arlington), Ely (Northwoods Partners), Granite Falls (Living at Home Block Nurse Program — Granite Falls), Litchfield (Meeker Memorial Hospital), Pine City (City of Pine City), and Sartell (Opportunity Matters), and four urban areas: Anoka (Impact Services), Chanhassen (City of Chanhassen), Duluth (The Victory Fund), and West African Community in Brooklyn Center (Holy Trinity Episcopal Church). The new communities join 33 existing communities statewide.

The Alzheimer’s Association estimates there are 91,000 Minnesotans age 65 and older living with Alzheimer’s and many thousands more with other dementias. The grantees will join community engagement efforts across Minnesota to both prepare local communities for the growing impacts of Alzheimer’s and create supportive environments for everyone touched by the disease.

Find the complete story in the April 28, 2016 edition of the Arlington Enterprise.