SAN ANTONIO - San Antonio is now a dementia friendly city.

  • Designation was presented by Dementia Friendly America
  • Conference brought together healthcare providers and community members
  • 5.8 million people in the U.S. are living with Alzheimer’s disease

On Saturday, the School of Nursing at UT Health San Antonio made the announcement. The designation was presented by Dementia Friendly America. This happened during the 9th Annual Geriatric Conference.

The conference brought together healthcare providers and community members to discuss Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. It also provides an outlet for caregivers to receive resources.

In 2019, 5.8 million people in the U.S. are living with Alzheimer’s disease. Texas ranks fourth nationally, with 390,000 individuals living with Alzheimer’s. The state is second in the number of Alzheimer’s-related deaths, with a 180 percent increase between 2000 and 2015.

"I hope that we become even more famous for being the benchmark across the world on how to make sure that families like mine don't have to feel lonely on dealing with something that is so ubiquitous all over the world," District 8 Councilman Manny Pelaez said.

The Dementia Friendly City designation recognizes that San Antonio has a grassroots initiative in place, led by an advisory board of committed stakeholders.

The School of Nursing’s Caring for the Caregiver program is championing the Dementia Friendly initiative, along with two other major stakeholders: University Health System and the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office.

These three key stakeholders are committed to raising awareness, offering education and training, conducting research and initiating policy changes to support Dementia Friendly San Antonio.

San Antonio is the third city in Texas with this designation.