Discover A New Holiday Tradition That Costs Nothing and Runs on Kindness
Dementia Friendsgiving reduces social isolation and increases holiday joy for people living with dementia and their families and friends
Washington, DC, Nov. 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The holidays can be a time of fun and laughter but also tension and loneliness. One of the biggest holiday stressors for people living with dementia and the people who care for them is feeling left out. Old friends and even family members may worry that they don’t know how to connect anymore or that a holiday gathering will be awkward or too much to handle. Care partners may just feel too tired to socialize.
This year, try a new recipe for a more meaningful holiday. Dementia Friendsgiving is a creative way to reclaim the holidays and confidently welcome friends or family living with dementia, Dementia Friendly America (DFA) announced today.
“When Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia touches a member of a family or friend group, that sense of connection can feel harder, but it doesn't have to be,” says Mary Ek, Director of DFA. “Friendsgiving celebrates connection. With a little guidance, we can plan holidays that everyone enjoys and where everyone feels a sense of belonging.”
An estimated 7.2 million Americans age 65 and older are living with Alzheimer’s disease or other dementias in 2025, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. About one in nine people affected are over age 65, but the condition can also occur in younger people.
DFA, administered by USAging, is a multisector collaborative effort to support the growth and development of dementia-friendly communities and other programs throughout the United States.
How to celebrate Dementia Friendsgiving
Being creative, flexible and kind are the keys to a successful Dementia Friendsgiving. You can:
- Host your own Dementia Friendsgiving at home. You can modify your traditional celebration or plan something new. Organize simple activities everyone can enjoy. Consider a smaller guest list, adjusting the timing or the length of the meal, or doing something special on a different day. Help all the guests feel confident by communicating and sharing tips in advance.
Get advice in our free Dementia Friendsgiving Toolkit.
- Attend a community-based Dementia Friendsgiving. If you can’t find one, host one yourself. Good locations include community centers, faith communities, libraries or Memory Cafes.
Get ideas from the Dementia Friendsgiving Toolkit, and explore the Memory Cafe Directory.
The dementia-friendly movement works all year round
Once the holiday season is over, there are still ways to support people living with dementia and their care partners. More than 400 communities in 43 states have joined DFA’s network of dementia-friendly communities. Local organizations play an important part, including hospitals, airports, local government, restaurants, businesses, libraries, legal and financial services, first responders and communities of faith. Anyone can learn how to be more dementia friendly by becoming a Dementia Friend.
“As a person living with dementia, I know the challenges and significant difficulties that dementia-related diseases cause in everyday life to me and my loved ones,” says Don Kent, an advocate living with Lewy Body Dementia who will be speaking at DFA’s Dementia Friendsgiving celebration. “Dementia Friendly America has helped communities around the nation be better aware and prepared to help hundreds of thousands of people, just like me, and our caregivers.”
Find a Dementia Friendly Community near you or become a Dementia Friend.
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About Dementia Friendly America
Dementia Friendly America, administered by USAging, is a national network of communities, organizations and individuals seeking to ensure that communities across the United States are equipped to support people living with dementia and their care partners. Their mission is to increase dementia awareness, reduce stigma, and provide quality dementia-friendly resources, education and support that fosters the creation of communities where people living with dementia and their care partners can live, engage and thrive in community with others. Learn more at dfamerica.org.
Bethany Coulter USAging 202.872.0888 bcoulter@usaging.org Elliott Walker SCP ewalker@aboutscp.com
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