Monica Contreras, left, and a UPMC colleague facilitate a Dementia Friends Pennsylvania session in Spanish at the UPMC Health Plan Neighborhood Center in Erie.
Dementia Friendly Pennsylvania is updating its Spanish-language Dementia Friends PA materials to better meet the growing demand from Latino communities across the state.
The refresh includes revised information session content, an updated participant resource workbook, and a new version of the program’s Five Key Messages video, all designed to improve accessibility and cultural relevance. The effort is supported by the Pennsylvania Department of Aging and reflects a broader commitment to ensuring that dementia education and support reach diverse populations.
Dementia Friendly Pennsylvania, launched by the Jewish Healthcare Foundation in 2018, combines community education, volunteer engagement, and local action to reduce stigma and increase practical supports for people living with dementia and their caregivers. Since its inception, the initiative has grown into a statewide network of dementia-friendly communities, with more than 30,000 Dementia Friends trained to date.
The need for expanded outreach is significant. An estimated 280,000 Pennsylvanians are currently living with Alzheimer’s disease, which accounts for 60–80% of dementia cases. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ranks Alzheimer’s as the sixth leading cause of death among adults, and projections suggest that by 2040, an additional 133,000 Pennsylvanians will be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or a related disorder.
Latino communities face an even greater risk. Research indicates that Latinos are approximately 1.5 times more likely to develop dementia than their white counterparts, due in part to disparities in social determinants of health. Expanding culturally and linguistically appropriate resources is a key step toward addressing these inequities.
With updated Spanish materials and continued partnerships, Dementia Friendly PA aims to deepen its reach and ensure that more individuals and families—especially within Latino communities—have access to the knowledge and support they need.
As part of this effort, Dementia Friendly PA will co-host a special Dementia Friends information session on June 29 in partnership with the Governor’s Advisory Commission on Latino Affairs. The session will be led in Spanish by Monica Contreras and Priscilla Morales, Community Health Promotion Specialists with UPMC Community HealthChoices, who regularly deliver Dementia Friends sessions in Erie. Many UPMC Community HealthChoices staff serve as Dementia Friends Champions, helping to bring education and awareness directly into communities.
"Dementia touches so many people’s lives, and we hear those stories every day in the community. UPMC Health Plan is proud to support this work and to partner with Dementia Friendly Pennsylvania, the Governor’s Advisory Commission on Latino Affairs, and the ADRD (Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders) Office to expand much needed dementia education and outreach in the Latino community, including the Spanish language Dementia Friends Information Session in June,” Contreras said.
