Program Topic:  Dementia- Friendly Johnson County, Presented by Jeff Kellbach, Aging Specialist, Johnson County
Save the date for the evening of Wednesday, Sept 11 for AM Rotary's 35th Anniversary celebration. It will be held at the Kirkwood Room.  More details will be coming from the Event Committee soon.
 
Other dates to save:
Can Sorting this Saturday, July 13 from 8:30 am until we are done, at the Riverside Dr recycling center.
August 27th meeting will be off-site at CommUnity in the Pepperwood Plaza.
Fireside Chat will be held on Sept 19 at the Knapp's home at 6:30pm.  This is particularly for new members and prospective members to learn more about Rotary and our Club.
Food Fight starts now and runs through August.  If you wish to contribute to the bulk buying done at the Kalona Auction for our CommUnity food donation, make checks payable to District 6000 HEF with memo line as Food Fight and mail to District 6000 HEF, PO Box 5774, Coralville, IA 52241-5774.
 
Our July 9 speaker, Jeff Kellbach, came to Iowa City in 1993 to attend UI and has been here ever since.  He is the first person to serve in the role of Aging Specialist for Johnson County and has held the position for 6 years. 
 
Community programs to build awareness of how to better serve people with dementia started in the UK.  Ours is the 4th Iowa community to be designated dementia-friendly and the first county to be recognized as such.  What this entails is having a dementia awareness program that provides information and explains the various types and symptoms of dementia.  Dementia-friendly communities also try to provide initiatives that help to empower persons with dementia and their care-givers.  One local example is Oaknoll's dementia-friendly dining area where the menu is simplified and the dining room is quieter and with has fewer distractions than a regular dining room.  The coalition working together on this initiative in Johnson County will also provide businesses, service groups and care-providers with one hour training sessions on how to recognize people with dementia and serve these people more effectively.  What these sessions try to do is to reduce the stigma of dementia, provide resources to care-givers and others, and help to empower those with dementia to get through their day more effectively.  Examples of how a business might adjust to be more dementia-friendly: add unisex family restrooms; pay attention to flooring contrast and to lighting and mirrors to eliminate shadows and confusing images.