By Grace Allen

On June 25, the Norfolk Council on Aging held its first Memory Café in the Community Room of the Norfolk Public Library. Scheduled for the fourth Wednesday of every month from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., the Memory Café will offer individuals with memory loss and their caregivers a place to connect and enjoy activities in a supportive, judgement-free environment.

According to Karen Edwards, the director of Norfolk’s Council on Aging, the Memory Café aims to provide a little normalcy, fun, and companionship in the lives of those affected by dementia or Alzheimer’s.

“The goal is to reduce social isolation in a stigma-free social setting,” Edwards explained. “It’s an opportunity to go someplace together, and caregivers can meet other caregivers, too.”

The monthly Memory Café is sponsored by the Friends of the Library and the Council on Aging. A light lunch is provided, along with games, easy crafts, and other interactive activities. 

Some form of musical entertainment is usually on tap, too, since the benefits of music for individuals with dementia is well-known. The Alzheimer’s Association notes music can improve mood, reduce agitation, and enhance memory, cognition, and emotional expression.

“Music does resonate with people with memory loss,” said Edwards. “We may forget a lot of things, but even non-verbal people seem to recognize music from their youth.”

The July 23 Memory Café will feature Donna Newman-Bluestein, a dance therapist. On her website, danceforconnection.com, Newman-Bluestein notes cognitively-impaired individuals respond well to both music and movement, both of which enhance neuroplasticity, the brain’s capacity to rewire itself in response to new experiences. 

Many of the area’s senior centers host memory cafés. Edwards says they are all held on different days of the month, so people can attend more than one. Anyone from any town is welcome to attend Norfolk’s. Quite often, assisted-living communities will take some of their residents to memory cafés, and help sponsor the programming. 

More than six million people in the U.S. have been diagnosed with some form of dementia, according to a report by the National Institutes of Health. Researchers estimate that 42% of Americans over the age of 55 will eventually develop dementia. 

Edwards has wanted to bring a memory café to Norfolk for a while now. She is a certified trainer in Powerful Tools for Caregivers, which teaches memory-enhancing techniques and practical strategies to boost memory functioning. She has found that most of the participants in her classes are caregivers for someone with dementia. 

“Dementia diagnoses are happening more and more because people are living longer,” Edwards said, noting her father had Alzheimer’s. “There’s a need for support.” 

Edwards hopes Norfolk’s new Memory Café will offer some of that support and says she’s open to feedback from participants. The programming will evolve and reflect the community’s wants and needs.

“I’d like it to be one more option, or tool in the toolbox, for caregivers,” she said. “It’s a way to get out and provide themselves and their person with a nice thing to do.”

Contact the Council on Aging at 508-528-4430 with any questions about the Memory Café. Participants are asked to register before attending.