As part of a summit that included several state and local officials, the Age and Dementia Friendly Cape Ann initiative accepted Age-Friendly designation certificates from AARP and Dementia Friendly pledge acknowledgement from Dementia Friendly Massachusetts and the Massachusetts Councils on Aging.

Another milestone from the event was that the coalition led by SeniorCare, Inc also released an action plan based on surveys and community forums conducted in partnership with UMass-Boston and supported by the Tufts Health Plan Foundation.

The Cape Ann effort includes the communities of Gloucester, Rockport, Manchester and Essex. The town of Essex was also the first in the state to receive Age and Dementia Friendly support from the Baker Administration via the Community Compact Program.

In having those four communities recognized, Massachusetts surpasses 50 cities and towns with an Age-Friendly designation.

Their approach to align and integrate Age and Dementia Friendly is also being used as a model for other communities looking to engage in both processes.

More info, including a link to the new action plan and their assessment, is available on the Age and Dementia Friendly Cape Ann website. Images from the event can be viewed on the MHAC Twitter page.