People who live with dementia want to learn, connect socially, and enjoy life, but there are few opportunities to do so that feel comfortable and safe. Fortunately, the Denver Public Library has a series of Memory Cafes designed just for this community.
Memory Cafes are social groups for people living with cognitive impairments, along with their family, friends, and caregivers. People have a lot of fun at Memory Cafes. They connect, laugh, engage, and create. People can relax because they don’t need to worry about stigma or embarrassment over the fact that they can’t remember or that they don’t understand. When you are at a Memory Cafe, you can just be yourself!
Each cafe starts with a fun, stimulating program followed by social time with coffee and treats. Some of the most popular programs have been:
- Planting and horticulture therapy with the Denver Botanic Gardens
- Learning to play the ukulele with Swallow Hill Music
- Sing-a-longs and music with local bands
- Creating watercolors with Memories in the Making
- Storytelling with Timeslips
- Writing poetry with Lighthouse Writers Workshop
- Art appreciation with the Denver Art Museum
- Brain Dance with the Colorado Ballet
The Memory Cafe takes place on Tuesdays at 1:30. Click here for upcoming sessions.
Memories in the Making takes place on first Thursday of every month at 1:30 at the Hadley Branch Library. Click here for details and upcoming sessions.
If you or someone you love lives with cognitive impairment, then you know first hand that people living with Alzheimer’s, dementia, and other forms of memory loss often experience depression, anxiety, and social isolation. They retreat from the activities that used to bring them joy. They feel embarrassed by their condition and frightened. Boredom is a constant challenge. All of these things make their dementia worse and negatively impact the quality of their lives. Attending a Memory Cafe or Memories in the Making program can be a wonderful antidote to these challenges.
Indeed, people love the Memory Cafe! Here are some quotes from attendees:
- “Socialization is so important...many of us lose our connections with friends and coworkers.”
- “It feels like a date!”
- “Dementia can be a cruel ride sometimes. This is the first thing to grab my interest since all this started.”
- “We begin to know the other people that are in it. So it begins to be a small support community.”
- “It’s a good social outlet for me … it’s just been a real highlight of my week.”
- “Mom is aware of her communication challenges, but at the Memory Cafe she can just relax and be herself.”
- “Memory Cafe has many different aspects, so when we get here, my husband can enjoy everything, maybe even things he didn’t know he could enjoy or try.”
- “This allows us to get out of the house and have a very stimulating time. The other thing is that we’ve developed friendships here.”
- “It’s so good just to talk.”
We hope you will join us at our next program. For more information, reach out to olderadults@denverlibrary.org
