A Dementia Friends session that Champion Janice Whitaker, CGNE Administrator and Education Program Manager, Penn State Ross, and Carol Nese College of Nursing, had completed with the Penn State Center for Performing Arts in September 2025.
With over 29,000 Dementia Friends, more than 550 Dementia Friends Champions volunteers, and 18 recognized Dementia Friendly Communities across Pennsylvania Dementia Friendly Pennsylvania and Dementia Friends Pennsylvania continue to expand their reach and impact as dementia rates in Pennsylvania continue to rise.
Those volunteers and communities have developed locally tailored programs such as Memory Cafes, caregiver support groups, resource fairs, dementia friendly dining programs, public education sessions, and other activities that meet local needs.
It is estimated there are 280,000 Pennsylvanians currently living with Alzheimer’s disease, which accounts for 60-80% of dementia cases. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Alzheimer's disease is the sixth leading cause of death among all adults. Research suggests by 2040, there will be approximately 133,000 more Pennsylvanians diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease or a related disorder.
The Pennsylvania Department of Aging has renewed its contract with the Jewish Healthcare Foundation (JHF) for the sixth consecutive year to administer Dementia Friendly Pennsylvania and Dementia Friends Pennsylvania, marking the largest award the department has granted to the program to date.
Dementia Friendly Pennsylvania combines community education, volunteer engagement, and local action to decrease stigma and increase practical supports. The Foundation launched Dementia Friends in 2018 and has since expanded to include the network of dementia friendly communities across Pennsylvania.
The renewed investment reflects growing momentum for community-based approaches to create more inclusive, engaging spaces and practices for people living with dementia and those important to them.
“The continued growth of Dementia Friendly PA reflects meaningful, community-led work happening across the Commonwealth. It is a strong, effective program that is helping communities better support people living with dementia and their caregivers, reduce stigma, and foster inclusion. The Department of Aging is proud to support and champion this work and the positive impact it is having statewide," said Pennsylvania’s Secretary of Aging Jason Kavulich.
Dementia Friendly Dining is an initiative of Dementia Friendly Lackawanna County. Pasquale’s Pizzeria and Family Restaurant completed the business training with Dementia Friendly Lackawanna County community lead Mike Castellano.
In 2025, the initiative broadened its offerings with the launch of Dementia Friendly@Work, which assists employers in making workplaces more accessible and dementia-aware, and with a Memory Screening program developed in partnership with the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America. These additions enable Dementia Friendly Pennsylvania’s network of communities to address both early detection and organizations’ accessibility and inclusion efforts, two areas that experts say improve quality of life and help people living with cognitive changes remain engaged in community life.
Program staff are contributing to the development of the Pennsylvania Department of Aging’s new State Plan on Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders, ensuring that community perspectives and on-the-ground lessons inform statewide policy.
In addition to the Dementia Friendly PA grant renewal, the CDC has renewed the Building Our Largest Dementia Infrastructure (BOLD) grant with the Allegheny County Health Department with Dementia Friends PA serving as a coalition partner. The implementation phase will focus on promoting brain health, early detection of dementia, caregiving, and community-clinical linkages in Allegheny County, particularly in neighborhoods with large populations of people at high risk of developing dementia.
The BOLD partnership brings together local and statewide organizations, including the Alzheimer’s Association of Greater Pennsylvania, Age-Friendly Greater Pittsburgh, the Allegheny County Area Agency on Aging, Be Healthy and Smart, Community Family Builders, Flourishing Communities, Project Destiny, and The Food Trust.
The Foundation’s role as administrator reflects a long-standing commitment to aging, dementia, and older adult services. Since its inception, JHF has led and funded initiatives that improve care for older adults, and managing Dementia Friendly Pennsylvania is an extension of that work to build supportive systems around people living with dementia.
