Contributed by Janice Downing
Amidst the hustle and bustle of life, Alzheimer’s Resource of Alaska’s Memory Café is a place where you can listen to music, enjoy a cup of coffee, laugh and relax. This environment is part of our Neighborhood Memory Café.
Nationwide Memory Cafés help people living with dementia, their care partners, family and friends to feel appreciated, have fun, and enjoy happy memories in an enriching environment. Music and other forms of art have a way of bringing people together and create a sense of connection and community which is often missing in our lives. At our Memory Café, time is spent socializing and enjoying the talents of local artists.
There are few things that stimulate the brain the way music does. Research suggests that listening to or singing songs can provide emotional benefits for people living with dementia. Musical memories are often preserved because key brain areas linked to musical memory are relatively undamaged by the disease. People living with dementia may lose the ability to express themselves verbally, but may sing with great joy upon hearing a familiar song.
Music also benefits care partners by reducing stress and increasing relaxation and socialization. The best part of a café is that it offers something fun for care partners to do with their loved one. It is also beneficial for Personal Care Attendants and Home Health Aides to participate in these activities with their clients who have dementia. It is always heart-warming to see café guests holding hands, smiling and singing along.
Our door is open to guests who have not been diagnosed, do not accept their diagnosis, or simply need a break from thinking about it. I call it a “safety bubble place” because as a rule of thumb we don’t raise the topic of dementia unless asked.
Our Neighborhood Memory Café meets on the third Tuesday of every month from 1:00 – 2:30 at the Wasilla Area Seniors, Inc. located at 1301 S. Century Circle in Wasilla. We are very grateful for the use of their facility. Our organization also has a new Memory Café in Anchorage. They meet at the Anchorage Senior Activity Center every 2nd Thursday of the month from 1:00 – 2:30.
Music makes magic happen! Please come and join us!
If you are a local artist or band and would like to contribute your talents – We would love to hear from you! For more information about our Neighborhood Memory Café please contact Janice Downing at Alzheimer’s Resource of Alaska (907) 864-3408 or by email: jdowning@alzalaska.org
