First State Bank Is Dementia Friendly

Dementia is a general term to describe symptoms of impairment in memory, communication, and thinking. Today, an estimated 5.8 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s, the most prevalent form of dementia. Like other institutions, we also have customers experiencing various forms of dementia. As part of First State Bank’s commitment to community, we have made it a priority to ensure that all community members have access to dignified banking.

During increased times of uncertainty, we want our community to know that we are prepared to assist in all ways that we can. Last year we made major strides toward making our banking centers dementia friendly.

Our initiative includes:

• A partnership with The Alzheimer’s Association of Greater Missouri and Home Instead Senior Care to provide training for employees to effectively communicate with and assist customers impacted by dementia.
• Banking centers that are easy to navigate and also provide quiet and private meeting spaces available to fully discuss banking concerns.
• Specialty services tailored for this audience, including our Trusted Contact form, which allows customers to designate an individual with whom bank personnel may discuss concerns or possible fraud or exploitation.

In September of 2019, we made our support known at the Walk to End Alzheimer’s and joined the effort to make St. Charles County the first Dementia Friendly Community in Missouri . More recently, our efforts were featured in the March 2020 issue of the Dementia Friendly America^® Newsletter along with the rest of our partners in the St. Charles community.

First State Bank’s dementia friendly banking program is a continuation of our mission to contribute to the wellness of our community since 1867. If you or someone you love is living with dementia, please let us know. Together we can create a plan to help with banking.

For additional resources, contact the Alzheimer’s Association 24/7 hotline at 800-372-3900.