Are you caring for someone with dementia, or are you yourself dealing with it? Do you wish there was a way to talk to others with similar concerns? Now, there is a way. The community of Hopkins wants to invite you to its first memory café, a place where you can find support, opportunities to socialize and fellowship in a safe, comfortable setting. The memory café was recently featured on KARE-11 TV news and you can view the segment here. A Star Tribune article provides additional details and may be read here.
The café was also featured in Hopkins Sun Sailor and may be viewed here. In addition, an article about the café may also be viewed in the online paper MinnPost.
The memory café is located at the Hopkins Library at 22 11th Avenue North in Hopkins. Memory cafés will be offered monthly on the second Tuesday of each month from 4:00 pm to 5:30 pm.
Memory cafes first became popular in Europe and then generated interest among Americans. The cafes began to spring up in urban areas like the Twin Cities about seven years ago. This year seemed the right time to begin a new initiative in Hopkins,” says Augustana Chapel View Admissions Director Billejo Armstrong.
In fact, Act on Alzheimer’s Minnesota has been working to create dementia-friendly communities since 2013. In 2017, Augustana Care joined ACT on Alzheimer’s to expand these efforts in Hopkins. Activities included creating memory-minder kits to be donated to service organizations and the library and inviting city employees to a Dementia Friends session.
The new memory café will offer opportunities for those diagnosed with memory loss and their care partners/family to engage with peers in a relaxed, unstructured environment. The café atmosphere promotes social engagement and support through interaction with others experiencing similar lifestyle changes.
While a memory cafe is helpful to people with dementia, it is also meant to assist and support caregivers as well. However, it is not a place to leave your loved one while you go shopping or do errands. Instead, the café offers a way to enjoy activities with loved one as a change from your normal routine.
Activities may include reminiscences, memory games and discussions that are relevant to caregivers, including shared experiences and resources such as adult day services or memory care. “It is mainly a place where you can find support and exchange information,” says Armstrong.
The memory café is powered by the Hopkins ACT on Alzheimer’s Action Team; the Hopkins Library; Hennepin County; Augustana Care Services and Communities; Augustana Chapel View Health Care Center; Emerald Crest of Minnetonka and Augustana Open Circle.
For more information on Alzheimer’s and similar conditions, please visit the Alzheimer’s Association website at www.alz.org/mnnd.To learn more about the Hopkins memory café, call (952) 856-7521.