Photo: Connor Olson | Unsplash
Memory Cafes are gatherings for people with cognitive impairment and their caregivers; they are becoming increasingly popular in the U.S. The gatherings are relatively cheap and easy to run — often the only expense is a small rental fee for the space, the cost of snacks, and/or crafts for the attendees. Currently, there are at least 600 memory cafes around the U.S. and more than 6 million people in the U.S. have been diagnosed with some form of dementia. The inclusion of caregivers is what distinguishes memory cafes from other programs that serve people with cognitive impairment. At a memory cafe, having fun together and being social supports the well-being of participants. And that support is for the patient and their caregiver — because both can experience social isolation and distress after a diagnosis. “The caregiver-patient dyad, I find often, has achieved some degree of connection and enjoyment in doing things together,” Jason Karlawish, geriatrics professor, said. “That socialization really does help ease the stress that they feel from being a caregiver,” said Kyra O’Brien, a neurologist who also teaches at Penn’s Perelman School of Medicine. “We know that patients have better quality of life when their caregivers are under less stress.”
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