Three years after its inception, the Dementia Friendly Surprise collaboration of city staff, research and care groups, and local nonprofits is flourishing.
Surprise was second of nine communities to join Dementia Friendly Arizona in 2019. The city’s Surprise Memory Café for people living with memory loss and their care partners is a central feature of the efforts, and monthly in-person meetings resumed in September.
Surprise Human Services & Community Vitality Manager Joe Gladieux said during an Oct. 18 City Council work session presentation that 802 people have attended the Memory Cafe this year — either virtually or in person — and there have been 9,033 total participants since 2019.
