Dementia Friendly TCU was established in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic and has amassed more than 100 members.

“Dementia Friendly is a nationwide organization, and we are the only Texas campus to have a collegiate club,” said Emma Rae Petty, a sophomore pre-medical student and the organization’s philanthropy and event director.

According to Dementia Friendly America, “The Dementia Friendly America Network is a multi-sector collaborative effort to foster and support the growth and development of dementia-friendly communities throughout the United States.”

“Our main goal is to break the stigma of dementia,” Petty said. “A lot of people on TCU’s campus have been affected by or close to someone who has had dementia or another memory loss-related condition.”

Petty said that Dementia Friendly TCU frequently coordinates with Brookdale’s assisted living facility, hosting activities such as “coffee and conversations” and inviting patients to TCU’s campus.

At their last meeting, they made Valentines for staff and patients at Brookdale.

The club also hosts a variety of guest speakers, including Kathy Goodwin, author of “Love Remembers.”

“It’s a very hardworking job to be a caregiver for dementia patients,” Petty said. “It is normally a 24-hour job, so they constantly have somebody there.”

Petty said it is encouraging to see how positive the patients are as they navigate their difficulties.

“They have so much wisdom and so much life that they have lived,” she said.

According to the World Health Organization, “Dementia has physical, psychological, social, and economic impacts, not only for people living with dementia but also for their caregivers, families and society at large.”

“From business to STEM, we would love to have you,” Petty said. “We are always looking to meet people from all different walks of life who have been impacted by the illness in all different ways.”