This month’s Wellness Awareness Lunch was “The Importance of Brain Health in the Workplace.” The speaker was Kim Jacquart Franzen, Dementia Care Specialist from the Aging and Disability Resource Center of the Lakeshore. Kim highlighted three different areas relating to the workplace in her talk. She spoke first on strategies to improve brain health for our employees. It is recommended to stay physically active, adopt a brain-healthy diet, remain socially active, embrace spirituality, manage stress and stay mentally active.
Kim’s second point spoke to employees being affected by dementia in different ways. Some employees may be showing signs of early on-set dementia and others are a care-giver for someone with dementia. She gave suggestions of how employers can best work with employees in each of these categories.
Finally she addressed the new initiative of becoming a Dementia Friendly Community and how workplaces can make it easier for customers with dementia. The goal is to make quality of life measurably better in the Manitowoc County Community by easing the fear and isolation associated with dementia, and by increasing access to the resources people need to live well with dementia.
For more information you can view Kim’s presentation by accessing our Member Resource Library by clicking here.
