Leaders Hope to Make Sauk Rapids A Dementia-Friendly Community[AUDIO]

SAUK RAPIDS -- A local organization is wanting to make Sauk Rapids an Alzheimer's friendly community.

Today (Wednesday) members of the ACT on Alzheimer's group held a community visioning meeting at the Sauk Rapids Government Center to educate others about this growing disease.

Good Shepard Housing Director April Meyers says the action team wanted the community to get involved and hear their ideas.

Throughout the meeting spectators had a chance to join in group discussions, provide ideas, and hear personal testimonies from people with the illness.

Melinda Fast is the Community Life Coordinator at Ridgeview Place Assisted Living. She says the action team will now take the community's feedback and use them in different projects.

About 88,000 Minnesotans ages 65 and older live with Alzheimer's and in ten years that number will increase to over 40%.

Meyers says they hope these meetings can help Sauk Rapids become more informed about this growing disease and how to support the individuals it affects.