Some local businesses are training to become friendlier for customers with Alzheimer’s disease.

Friday lunches are the busiest time for Chik Fil A at University Place. The dining room is packed, there’s a line winding its way around the store, and baskets of fries hardly have time to cool before the cook has to dunk another one into the deep-fryer.

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At the register, Chik Fil A manager Alex Nystrom is taking an order. The transaction goes quickly and smoothly, even during the lunch rush. But customer service isn’t also as straightforward when it comes to guests with Alzheimer’s or dementia.

“We have a lot of older folks who come in regularly who we believe probably have some signs,” Nystrom said.

Nystrom says it can be a challenge to serve customers with Alzheimer’s or dementia. People with the diseases can have trouble ordering or sometimes become agitated with employees. But Nystrom and her co-workers recently learned some techniques for serving customers with Alzheimer’s when the store participated in an Alzheimer’s-friendly business training.

“You need to be clear, not give so many options,” Nystrom said, explaining some of her training. “Be a simple as you can. If they’re having a hard time when you do give them a lot of options, then you just try to narrow it down. So instead of listing off all the sides, just ask them ‘would you like fries, or maybe fruit?’”

Nystrom says a lot of the training was about recognizing signs of Alzheimer’s and being prepared to provide more time and attention to customers who need it. Her store is among a growing number of businesses that are training their employees to be Alzheimer’s-friendly.

“With more elderly people coming into our community, Alzheimer’s is obviously something that’s just going to be naturally occurring,” Nystrom said. “There’s a large number in the U.S. that have it. And we just really want to make everything comfortable for every patron that comes in, including those that might have Alzheimer’s.”

The Alzheimer’s Association reports there are more than 5 million Americans living with the disease. And that number is increasing as the Baby-Boomer generation ages.

“We have about 10,00 people a day in country that are turning 65 and that’s the greatest risk factor for Alzheimer’s is just getting older, said Lisa Levine, program director of Alzheimer’s North Carolina. She says as the population ages, it will become increasingly important for people to learn how to recognize and care for Alzheimer’s patients in their communities. But Levine says Alzheimer’s can be present in younger people as well.

“Alzheimer’s we think of it as a disease of the elderly. But there are more and more people we see daily in our practice here that are below the age of 65,” Levine said.

For Nystrom, her new skills won’t only be useful at work. Like many Americans, Alzheimer’s has touched her own family.

“My grandfather, we thought he was starting to show signs. So we’ve been taking him to the neurologist for a while now,” Nystrom said. “They think that he’s showing signs but it’s not drastically picking up yet. It could be a form of dementia. It’s hard to decipher which one’s which.”

Businesses that want to participate in Alzheimer’s-friendly training can contact Home Instead Senior Care or Alzheimer’s North Carolina – or visit AlzheimersFriendlyBusiness.com.