What are Age & Dementia Friendly communities?
This region-wide effort makes our communities welcoming, accessible, and inclusive for people of all ages—especially older adults and those living with dementia.
Using frameworks developed by the World Health Organization and AARP, our approach is tailored to local needs and driven by the voices of residents, caregivers, and community leaders.
We look at housing, transportation, social connections, outdoor spaces, and more—all through the lens of aging and cognitive health. People living in Age & Dementia Friendly communities are active, engaged, and supported—whether they’re 8 or 88.
We’re making progress…
What we do
Technical assistance:
We consult with your organization on how to be more Age & Dementia Friendly at no cost. Areas of expertise include:
- Network building & connections
- Promotion of events and initiatives
- Policy Planning for towns & municipalities
- Identifying funding and grant support
- Launch and grow a Village organization
- Program planning & evaluation advice
Funding:
Fund your best ideas through the Age & Dementia Friendly Community Award program. The next Request for Proposals will be in fall of 2025—check back here for details!
Training:
Looking for training or workshops on brain health, age bias, fraud prevention, accessible design, or other topics related to aging and dementia? Expert presenters provide free, customizable training options for your staff, volunteers, or to enhance your events.
Contact Jason Molony, Age & Dementia Friendly Program director, at 413-829-9198 or jmolony@lifepathma.org for more information.
Get involved
- Become an Age & Dementia Steering Committee Member
- Sign up for the newsletter
- Apply for an Age & Dementia Friendly Community Grant
Resources
The history of Age & Dementia Friendly Franklin County and North Quabbin
Data Sources
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- Age & Dementia Friendly survey results:
- Event Recording
- Slide deck
- Raw data from the survey (.pdf format)
- Town-specific data (.xls format)
- Massachusetts Healthy Aging Data Report
- AARP Livability Index
- Age & Dementia Friendly survey results:
Recordings
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- Age Friendly Community Conversation
- Healthy Living Webinar Series
- Backyard Oasis Podcasts
- Building Age-Friendly Communities with Jason Molony, Part 1 & Part 2
- Aging: So Cool Everyone is Doing It with Meg Ryan
Newsletters
- July 2025—Backyard Oasis Podcast
- June 2025—South County Senior Center
- May 2025—Community Grant Awardees
- March 2025—Village Forum
- January 2025—Funding Announcement
- December 2024—Community grant announcement, ADF highlights
- November 2024—New Age & Dementia Friendly Program Director Jason Molony
- September 2024—Grant announcement, statewide Age-Friendly Plan
- June 2024—Selectboard meeting updates, upcoming trainings
- December 2023—AARP Designation, Ageism
- June 2023—Project update, event invite, transportation and education opportunities
- March 2023—Workgroups and Action Planning
- Sept. 2022—Focus groups and data analysis
- June 30, 2022—Program Manager Departure
- April 7, 2022—Survey Update, Public Health Nurse Particiation, Town Enrollment Update
- September 1, 2021—Needs Assessment and Enrollment Updates
- June 25, 2021—AARP Designation, Funding Opportunity, and Healthy Aging Spotlight
- March 23, 2021—AARP Designation, Funding Opportunity, Training Opportunities and Healthy Aging Spotlight
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