Evaluation

Measuring common outcomes of dementia friendly activities is essential to evaluating the impact that DFA Communities are able to achieve. Communities should consult the DFA Evaluation Guide to identify key activities and assessment tools to create an evaluation plan. There are many benefits to evaluating the outcomes of dementia friendly activities: evidence-based results showing dementia friendly impact, data to motivate collaborators to invest time and resources into the effort, guidance on how to better clarify and prioritize project goals, and informing the work of Dementia Friendly America in supporting communities across the country and engaging with funders.

Please review the DFA Evaluation Guide at the beginning of each new dementia friendly activity. Even if a community does not have the capacity to evaluate each activity in its effort, prioritize key activities to sustain and evaluate.

The main steps outlined in the Evaluation Guide are to:

• Form an Evaluation Team
• Identify Activities to Evaluate
• Identify Assessment Tool or Measurement Method
• Create and Implement the Evaluation Plan 
• Communicate Findings