What five letter word starts with A and ends in L? Find the answer below. Simple exercises like this help keep the brain in better working condition. What else can help? Memory Café.
For millions of people around the world, various forms of dementia are quietly sneaking into families and creating day to day living challenges. It’s what inspired the concept of Memory Café in the UK and what continues to make it an effective tool around the world in living with memory issues.
Mayo Clinic describes dementia as follows: “Dementia isn’t a specific disease. Instead, dementia describes a group of symptoms affecting memory, thinking and social abilities severely enough to interfere with daily functioning”. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/dementia/symptoms-causes/syc-20352013
Fortunately, for residents in the St. Petersburg area, there are three monthly Memory Café events. Designed to enhance quality of life for people with dementia and their care partners, Memory Cafés are a welcome relief. Where else do you go, where, like you, everyone you meet is living at home with dementia? Who else understands the day to day challenges?
At Memory Café, having dementia and talking about it is not taboo. Memory Cafés build necessary support networks through socialization. They are an effective tool for maintaining healthy, happier, active and more engaged lives despite memory issues. They’re meant to be enjoyed, to learn, to give people a reason to get up and get out, stimulate thought, and lift the spirits. Facilitators and co-founders, Dr. Cate McCarty, Dementia Coach, and Jane Ogilvie, Elder Care Issue Consultant and LPN of Senior Solutions of Pinellas County, offer up over 70 years of combined professional and personal family experience with aging issues and dementia.
If you are a care partner of someone with memory concerns, are awaiting diagnosis, or have already received a dementia diagnosis, join us Monday May 7th or June 11th at 11 AM – 1 PM at Carrabba’s Italian Grill, at 1951 4th St N, St Petersburg.
Catch the original Cate and Jane Memory Café Monday May 14th or June 18th, at 12:15 PM – 2 PM at Neptune Grill, at 5501 Shore Blvd S, Gulfport, FL.
You can also meet us at Tyrone Square Mall for the Walking Group plus Memory Café, May 18th or June 21st, at 10 AM – 1 PM at the Food Court’s parking lot entrance facing 22nd Ave. Check in from 9:45 AM – 10 AM. Walk at a leisurely pace for an hour, find items on the scavenger hunt list, and then meet up at Red Robin Gourmet Burger for a 21st Century burger joint experience. Expect a mix of reminiscing and current topic conversation.
The mall walk experience opens new doors and helps to bring increased dementia awareness to our community. This month, for the first time, Naples Soap Company is recognizing our group in their own unique way. These types of interactions are a win-win for all.
These events occur monthly. All are free to attend. Food and beverages are available for purchase. If you are a business owner or an employee and would like to learn how to make your business friendlier to your dementia customers, please contact us. Various staff trainings and presentations are available and may be customized to meet your business’s specific needs.
To RSVP, or for further information, contact Dementia Myth Buster Jane at 727-327-0167 or sensol@seniorsmile.com or Dementia Myth Buster Cate at 813-384-7571 or catemccarty@gmail.com.