Key takeaways
- A dementia-friendly business is one whose managers and staff can recognize when a customer might be living with dementia, communicate with patience and make simple changes to the space so that customer can keep coming back.
- About 210,500 North Carolinians 65 and older live with Alzheimer’s, and about 373,000 North Carolinians care for them, according to the Alzheimer’s Association.
- Seven in 10 working-age family caregivers in the U.S. hold a job, and half report work disruptions such as arriving late or leaving early, according to AARP’s Caregiving in the US 2025.
- Dementia Friendly America lists the business benefits as better customer service for all customers, higher employee satisfaction and positive publicity.
- Dementia Capable CARES trains Triangle businesses in one hour and recognizes them with employee certificates, a company certificate and a window cling.
A dementia-friendly business is a store, bank, restaurant, office or service where people living with dementia, and the people who care for them, are welcome and know they will be treated well. It does not mean a business becomes a care provider. It means the people at the front desk know what to do when a customer gets confused.
In the Triangle, that customer is already walking through your door. And if you employ more than a handful of people, someone on your payroll is probably caring for a parent or spouse with dementia right now.
What is a dementia-friendly business?
A dementia-friendly business, as Dementia Friendly America (DFA) defines it, is one in which management and employees can recognize the signs of dementia, communicate effectively with people living with it and adjust the environment to make it easier to use. DFA is the national network of dementia-friendly communities, administered by USAging, and its sector guides set out what this looks like in stores, banks, restaurants, salons, hotels and clinics.
Dementia Capable CARES, a volunteer-led nonprofit in the Triangle recognized by DFA, uses the term “dementia capable” for a community where every sector serves people living with dementia and their families with dignity and respect. A dementia-friendly business is one piece of that.
Why should a Triangle business become dementia-friendly?
A Triangle business should become dementia-friendly because the customers, the employees and the numbers are already here.
Customers. The Alzheimer’s Association estimates that 210,500 North Carolinians 65 and older live with Alzheimer’s disease, about 11.6% of the state’s older adults. Most live at home, and many still shop, bank, dine out and go to the doctor in Raleigh, Cary, Apex and Durham. A customer who has a bad experience, or whose daughter sees a bad experience, tends not to come back.
Employees. AARP and the National Alliance for Caregiving found in Caregiving in the US 2025 that 63 million Americans are family caregivers, and 70% of working-age caregivers have a job. Half of those report work disruptions such as arriving late, leaving early or cutting hours. In North Carolina, about 373,000 people care for someone with Alzheimer’s.
The bottom line. DFA’s business guidance lists better customer service for all customers, higher employee satisfaction and opportunities for publicity. Training that helps a confused 80-year-old at checkout also helps a stressed parent, a tourist or a customer who is hard of hearing.
There is a cost, and it is small: an hour of staff time and some attention to signs and seating. The harder part is keeping it up when staff turn over, which is why DFA recommends refresher training.
What does a dementia-capable storefront or office look like day to day?
A dementia-capable storefront or office looks mostly like any well-run business. The differences are in the details:
| Area | What it looks like |
|---|---|
| Front-line staff | Greet customers face to face, speak slowly, give one step at a time and never rush a confused customer. |
| Signs | Large-print, high-contrast signs with simple words and familiar icons (restrooms, exits, checkout) at eye level. |
| Floors and lighting | Safe, dry floors without glare or busy patterns; stairs and ramps marked with high-contrast tape. |
| Seating | Chairs near the entrance, checkout or service desk where someone can sit and rest. |
| Quiet space | A calmer corner or office for longer conversations, especially at banks and pharmacies. |
| Procedures | A plan for a customer who seems lost, cannot pay or may be the target of a scam. |
| Employees | Flexible scheduling and information on caregiver resources for staff caring for a family member. |
The environmental suggestions come from DFA’s sector guides. None of them requires a renovation.
What does dementia-friendly training cover?
Dementia-friendly training covers what dementia is, how to recognize when someone might be living with it and how to respond. The Dementia Capable CARES business training runs one hour, including time for open discussion with your team, and covers:
- The fundamentals of dementia: what it is and how it affects memory, thinking and behavior.
- How to recognize when a customer or client might be living with dementia.
- Communication strategies, such as one step at a time and two-choice questions.
- Environmental strategies for signs, lighting, noise and seating.
- The everyday difficulties a person living with dementia may face, and how staff can make them easier.
You choose in-person or virtual. Each employee who completes the training receives a certificate. The business receives a company certificate and a window cling to display.
Which Triangle businesses have already been trained?
Triangle businesses and public places trained by Dementia Capable CARES include the Cary Senior Center, the Cary Theater, GoCary, Wake County Libraries, the Apex Senior Center, the Morrisville Senior Center, Meals on Wheels of Wake County, Carolina Meadows, The Cambridge at Brier Creek and several home care agencies. These partners have agreed to be a safe space for people living with brain change, their care partners and families.
How do you get started?
You get started by booking a training date for your team. Call 919-812-6570, email DementiaCapable@gmail.com or use the request form on our business training page. Tell us about your organization and we will follow up to schedule.
If you already know your next step is helping staff with the words to use at the counter, our article on communication tips for serving customers living with dementia is a good one to share before the session.
Sources
- Dementia Friendly Businesses sector guide, Dementia Friendly America, 2026
- Dementia Friendly Business National Guidance, Dementia Friendly America
- New Report Reveals Crisis Point for America’s 63 million Family Caregivers, AARP, July 24, 2025
- North Carolina Alzheimer’s Statistics, Alzheimer’s Association
- Business Training, Dementia Capable CARES
