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Because of concern with dementia and driving, Winnemucca hosted a panel discussion in September of 2015. The response was overwhelmingly positive and we learned so much. The most important detail was that one cannot simply take a driver’s license away from an individual, even if he or she is a potential disaster on the road. It is vital to provide transportation services so that people can remain busy, active, and an integral part of the community.

 

Following the panel discussion, a group of hardy individuals said, “Well, that was good but now what?” From there the Age-Friendly Winnemucca Project began, starting with monthly meetings, an application to the World Health Organization, and contact with AARP Nevada. Unfortunately, our WHO application was lost in cyberspace and while we patiently waited for a reply, we were swooped in by AARP. Studying the guidelines:

 

• Outdoor Spaces and Buildings/Structures

• Transportation

• Housing

• Social Participation

• Respect and Social Inclusion

• Civic Participation and Employment

• Communications

• Community Support and Health Services

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Our group met, discussed, entertained guest speakers, and created small in-roads into making Winnemucca even age-friendlier. Each encounter produced vast, new information and from this we had our first successes:

  

• Handicap parking for the senior bus on 4th and Bridge making downtown accessible to more people

• Valet parking at the senior center when there is inclement weather or when drivers are struggling to find a parking spot

• Concierge service on the senior bus on Tuesdays for those individuals who require additional assistance getting out of the house, onto the bus, into the center, and back home again

• A flipchart of information for residence including local health and helpful information as well as insight from other supportive institutions throughout Nevada

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Our second panel discussion was held in the fall of 2017 where we further discussed the potential needs of our community plus received more insight and input from local and state organizations. The more we learned, the more we wanted to know and do and be and so we brought guest speakers to our monthly meeting from AARP – Nancy Anderson and Mary Liveratti as well as a Skyped session with Jacob Harmon of the Northern Nevada Alzheimer’s Association. Having been accepted into the Age-Friendly process of AARP we also added another aspect to our endeavor: Dementia-Friendly Winnemucca. Knowing that just covering Winnemucca was inadequate we added the entire county and became:

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Age-Friendly and Dementia-Friendly Winnemucca and Humboldt County

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