The Alzheimer Café concept continues to grow in popularity in Ireland with the recent launch of a new cafe in Dublin. This brings to approximately 13, the number of café’s across Ireland.
The new café is being provided by the Dominican Sisters Cabra at the Dominican Campus on the Navan Road and will run on the first Thursday of every month. The Alzheimer Café is a concept that was originally developed in the Netherlands as a monthly support group in a café like setting for people with dementia and their carers. It’s an unusual type of support group, combining information and support with an opportunity to socialise in an informal café environment. It enables families who are experiencing dementia to receive valuable information and stay connected. The Alzheimer Cafés are also attended by healthcare professionals and are combined with a presentation on an issue relating to dementia.
The model encourages other interested groups to set up an Alzheimer Café in their area, according to the criteria of the original model. There are an estimated 48,000 people with dementia in Ireland.
There are now 13 such Cafés in Ireland in the areas of Dublin (4), Kildare, Sligo, Wexford, Tipperary, Cork, Carlow, Kilkenny, Meath and Wicklow. The Alzheimer Café is free of charge and depends on volunteers who run the evenings.
Image: At the launch of the café from left: Rose Henderson (Val from Fair City) Sr Edel Murphy OP and Sinead Grennan Chief Executive of Sonas aPc.
