Dementia Cafés
Why have Dementia Café.?
There are a number of models for providing
practical information, emotional and social support, including specialist
education based support programmes, specialist day centre provision and Alzheimer’s
or dementia cafés.
Dementia cafés have evolved from (the
patented) Alzheimer’s Café and Alzheimer’s Café
UK concepts.
The first café opened its doors in 1997 in the Netherlands and the first one in the UK was held in 2000 by the Blackwater Valley branch of Alzheimer’s Society.
In addition, good practice indicates that
generic dementia cafés should follow the same aims and principles.
The cafés are not merely a social get-together
in a café-style environment, but rather the careful combination and
structuring of low-level intervention of information, knowledge and support
offered within an informal and understanding environment.
The café is facilitated by a skilled
facilitator and can be thought of as a type of guided self-help group.
Persons with dementia are the focal point
of the café talks and discussions. The underlying assumption is that
once the illness can be named and discussed in the presence of all affected,
some of the denial, secrecy and pain surrounding this is lessened.
This in turn creates scope for new interactions
and adaptations to live with the illness and not to be left with the feeling
of being alone but in common with the many others also present at the café.
What is the Aim.?
The facilitation of open discussion of the
diagnosis of dementia and its consequences in an informal, social environment
in the presence of and supported by peers (people with dementia, their carers
and families).
The provision of practical information provided
by a range of sources in a structured social setting that provides opportunities
for people with dementia, their families and carers to ask questions and learn
from the experience of peers.
Where are the Dementia Café.?
Currently, there are 4 cafés running and there are being held in Sevenoaks, Ashford, Dover and Maidstone.
For more information about using the Dementia
Web site go to Help.