28 Aug Customers notice dementia-friendly businesses!

We received an email from a Seniors Helping Seniors employee. She explained a day earlier this month when Sarah, a store manager at Safeway (on the corner of Drake and Taft in Fort Collins) called to let her know that one of their clients (age 86) was in the store very confused and disoriented. She knew to call Seniors Helping Seniors because the gentleman always shops at Safeway on Fridays with one of the agency’s care companions who wears her name badge. The client’s wife had sent her husband to fill up the car with gas and he ended up in Safeway where he knew everyone but was not clear about the context he was in. Sarah greeted him with kindness, gave him coffee and a doughnut, and called Seniors Helping Seniors. The daughter was contacted and Scott Hadlock, a Safeway department manager, became “an auto mechanic” driving the confused gentleman home, (a context that made sense to the gentleman). Scott ensured that the man got inside safely, while subtly showing the man that he was not walking his dementia journey alone.

The leadership at Safeway (Store #2913) is committed to ensuring that their staff shows awareness and compassion to all of their customers, including those living with cognitive challenges. Their excellent customer service exemplifies the company commitment “to helping people across the country live better lives by making a meaningful difference, neighborhood by neighborhood.”
Thank you, Bob Curtis (manager), Sarah Gundlach, Scott Hadlock, and the other staff at Safeway who are making a difference in our community. Your strong local presence and the attention you pay to your customers are noticed by your other patrons. You are making Northern Colorado more dementia-friendly–one business, one customer, one MOMENT at a time.   We are grateful for your partnership in helping us make living well with dementia the expectation, not the exception! 

If you know other businesses making a dementia-friendly difference and/or you want your business to be dementia-friendly, contact us.  We will gladly provide you with the education and resources you need in a simple, efficient manner.     If any of your employees are serving as care partners, refer them to this website for education, support, and life enrichment opportunities for themselves and their loved ones.    Dementia-Friendly Communities of Northern Colorado is a 501c3 nonprofit organization.  All financial gifts are used locally to sustain and grow the work we are doing.