Hartwell Place Helps Lead Dementia-Friendly Community Initiative Across Chicago’s North Side
CHICAGO, Ill. -- Hartwell Place, the boutique memory care community of Chicago Methodist Senior Services (CMSS), is helping lead an initiative to designate the Uptown, Andersonville, Rogers Park, and Edgewater (UARE) neighborhoods as Dementia-Friendly America Communities. The community, which has been a designated dementia friendly community for the past year, is now focusing its efforts on reaching apartment tenants, churches, and colleges in the neighborhood, with the goal of training as many people as possible as "Dementia Friends."
With an estimated 107,600 people living with Alzheimer's disease, Cook County has the third highest number of people living with dementia in the nation. Nationally, more than seven million Americans are living with Alzheimer's disease, and one in three older adults dies with Alzheimer's disease or another dementia.
Led by CMSS and Edgewater Village, a nonprofit social support network, the UARE Dementia-Friendly initiative brings together businesses, libraries, health care providers, nonprofits, and residents to make everyday places more welcoming and accessible for people living with dementia and their care partners.
"By working together across our neighborhoods, we can help people living with dementia continue participating in community life with dignity and purpose. As a trusted partner, Hartwell Place is proud to help create a more dementia-friendly environment that supports our residents, their families, and our neighbors," said Jeanne Heid Grubman, Director of Strategic Initiatives at Chicago Methodist Senior Services.
In a 2023 community survey, only 5% of care partners and 17% of family and friends responded that the diagnosis is understood by others. The majority of persons living with dementia and caregivers reported not using resources in the community, pointing to the need for more awareness and visibility.
The coalition also is expanding Dementia Friends education throughout the community, providing practical training that helps organizations better recognize, understand, and support neighbors living with dementia.
One of the initiative's signature programs is the monthly Memory Café at the Edgewater Library, where people living with dementia, care partners, and family members participate in dementia-friendly activities. Hartwell Place residents regularly attend, allowing them to maintain neighborhood relationships after moving into memory care.
Uptown resident Bob Contino, who has been a full-time caregiver for his mother Vivian since 2024, has attended the Memory Café with her and is a member of the UARE committee. He says a main challenge facing most families dealing with dementia is that there is no headspace for proactivity in seeking out resources.
"Many times the focus with dementia is dealing with day-to-day care and the challenges it presents. Getting the word out proactively to those touched by dementia is important to reach those who are focusing on staying afloat. Our goal is to share valuable tools, approaches, thought partners, allies, and friends with them to help lighten the load and start to feel that thriving while living with dementia is in reach," he added.
On Friday, Aug. 21, 2026, the Memory Café will explore the theme "Travel Adventures," featuring travel stories, favorite destinations, and opportunities to reminisce in a welcoming, dementia-friendly environment.
For more information on the Memory Café, UARE and Hartwell Place, visit https://hartwellplace.org/.
About Hartwell Place
Hartwell Place, part of Chicago Methodist Senior Services, is a boutique memory care community dedicated exclusively to serving older adults living with Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia through personalized care, innovative programming, and strong neighborhood partnerships.
As a nationally recognized leader in dementia care and advocacy, Hartwell Place regularly shares updates related to memory care innovation, dementia-friendly community initiatives, caregiver education, nonprofit leadership, neighborhood partnerships, and life inside its boutique community.
Related link: https://hartwellplace.org/
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