Dementia Friendly Fountain Hills

The Town of Fountain Hills is honored to join a growing network of communities in the Dementia Friendly America® program. Dementia Friendly America is a national network of communities, organizations, and individuals seeking to ensure communities across the country are equipped to support people with dementia and their caregivers. Dementia-friendly communities foster the ability of people living with dementia to remain in the community and engage and thrive in day-to-day living. The Town of Fountain Hills is the 10th community in Arizona to receive the Dementia Friendly America designation.

As a dementia-friendly community, Fountain Hills is committed to being a town that is informed, safe, and respectful of individuals living with the disease, their families, and caregivers and the Town is dedicated to providing supportive options to foster quality of life through supportive community connections.

Dementia Friendly Fountain Hills will offer resources through the Memory Café program offered by the Community Center. The Memory Café will provide a caregiver support group and an activity group for those with memory loss. Prestige In-Home Services will provide daily programs and services through the Café.

Upcoming Events and Programs

3rd Annual Dementia Caregiver Summit

Empowering Dementia Caregivers: Essential Tools to Strengthen Well-Being & Ease the Path of Care

March 7th, 2026

Fountain Hills Community Center (13001 N. La Montana Dr.)

Starts at 8:30am

Save the Date for the 2026 Dementia Caregiver Summit! This is a free event which aims to help dementia caregivers through their journey.

Register by clicking this link

The Town of Fountain Hills and Dementia Friendly Fountain Hills will host the 3rd Annual Dementia Caregiver Summit, a day dedicated to empowering caregivers as they navigate the challenging journey of supporting a loved one with dementia.

Scheduled for March 7th, 2026, the summit features several compassionate and knowledgeable speakers who will share guidance on approaching this journey with greater confidence, self-compassion, and resilience. The event will run from 8:30 AM to 1:00 PM at the Fountain Hills Community Center.

“This summit is a vital resource for caregivers who face significant challenges in navigating a dementia diagnosis,” said Fountain Hills Councilwoman Peggy McMahon, co-chair of the Fountain Hills Dementia Friendly Task Force. “I hope this opportunity truly changes lives for the better.”

Caregivers often experience tremendous emotional and physical strain. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, roughly 257,000 Arizonans currently care for a friend or family member with dementia.

“I know firsthand how difficult this journey can be, and I want to do everything possible to support others going through it,” said Fountain Hills resident Linda Rode, co-chair of the task force. Her husband, Paul, passed away in 2025 after several years spent with a dementia diagnosis. “I hope this summit brings comfort and practical help to caregivers across the Valley.”

The 2025 Dementia Caregiver Summit saw strong growth, drawing more than 110 caregivers for a day of education, understanding, and shared experiences.

BONUS! Virtual Dementia Tour

The day prior to the summit, on March 6th, 2026, a unique experience is being offered to attendees. The Virtual Dementia Tour aims to help participants experience the physical and mental challenges associated with dementia. Pre-registration is required, and you can do so by clicking this link.

The Dementia Caregiver Summit is led by Councilwoman Peggy McMahon and Linda Rode. Below you can watch their story highlighted by ABC15 in early 2025, ahead of the 2nd Annual Dementia Caregiver Summit.

Finding Meaning and Hope -A Free Discussion Series for Family Caregivers

Join a group of fellow family caregivers to learn how to regain hope and build resilience when dealing with the challenges of caring for someone with dementia or other cognitive impairment. In the Finding Meaning and Hope discussion series, you will learn skills that can help you navigate your caregiving journey with healing and hope. This 10-session series features videos and discussions based on the groundbreaking book, Loving Someone Who Has Dementia: How to Find: Hope While Coping with Stress and Grief by Pauline Boss, Ph.D., a leading expert on caregiver grief.

RSVP for Free. See below for dates and times.

To register, call Linda Rode at (480) 868-8023 or e-mail lrhealthyliving@icloud.com

Banner Health Programs

The Banner Alzheimer's Institute offers programs and services throughout the month. You can check out a list of upcoming events at this link.

Compilation of Resources

Mountain View Hospice compiled resources containing comprehensive support and information for those navigating the challenges of dementia. They include lists of outside agencies that can help, memory cafe locations around Maricopa County, and suggested reading material. Those can be found at this link.

Know the 10 Signs of Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia

1. Memory loss that disrupts daily life
2. Challenges in planning or solving problems
3. Difficulty completing familiar tasks at home, at work, or at leisure
4. Confusion with time or place
5. Trouble understanding visual images and spatial relationships
6. New problems with words in speaking or writing
7. Misplacing things and losing the ability to retrace steps
8. Decreased or poor judgment
9. Withdrawal from work or social activities
10. Changes in mood and personality

If you or someone you care about are showing any of these signs you should ask others you trust if they are seeing these changes and schedule an appointment with your doctor or a specialist (neurologist, geriatric psychiatrist or geriatrician).

Compassion Cacti Lanyard Program at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport

Sky Harbor has a new program aimed at providing an extra-friendly and patient hand to customers who need more time or additional assistance when traveling through the airport. The Compassion Cacti Lanyard is designed to provide extra patience and understanding to customers who self-identify as needing additional assistance, when appropriate.

Customers, their parents, caregivers or guardians can request a Compassion Cacti lanyard prior to their next visit (within 3 months or less) by completing a request form at Skyharbor.com.

When a customer wears the lanyard, PHX Airport employees will know that the passenger may need extra assistance, or a little more time at the check-in counter, security checkpoint and other areas.

The Compassion Corner is located in Terminal 4 on level 3 behind elevator B in the Chapel at PHX. For additional information and assistance, please email Skyharbor@phoenix.gov or call 602-534-0293

Dementia Friendly Fountain Hills