Implementation and impact of a Dementia Friends pilot.

Introduction: Dementia Friends is a dementia awareness program that trains lay leaders (called "dementia champions") to give presentations about dementia to combat stigma in their community.

Objective: In this mixed methods study, we aimed to evaluate the impact and implementation of a pilot Dementia Friends program in Washington State to assess whether it improved attitudes towards people living with dementia.

Method: Fifteen champions were recruited, who organized 22 Dementia Friends sessions, reaching 214 Dementia Friends participants.