Dementia Cafe
Our take on the dementia cafe phenomenon and how we managed to create our own in our community.
Dementia Cafe
Our take on the dementia cafe phenomenon and how we managed to create our own in our own community.
WHAT IS DEMENTIA?
DEMENTIA: a term used globally to describe all the symptoms related to chronic degenerative brain diseases that are both progressive and terminal. Dementia is caused by a variety of diseases, including the most common, Alzheimer’s Disease.
Dedicated scientists globally are working extremely hard to find us a cure!
Until that happens, DEMENTIA CAFES around the world are working together to support those living at home with dementia and creating dementia-friendly communities.
The Umbrella Dementia Cafe
The Umbrella Dementia Cafe in Blackburn, Melbourne is a volunteer run community peer support group for people living with dementia and their family.
The Umbrella Dementia Cafe
The Umbrella Dementia Cafe in Blackburn, Melbourne is a volunteer run community peer support group for people living with dementia and their family.
The Umbrella Dementia Cafe made it to our local newspaper this week. Thank you for joining in on the fun Whitehorse Leader Newspaper!
THE UMBRELLA DEMENTIA CAFE
IS PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE WE HAVE OUR
OWN DEDICATED WEBSITE
www.UmbrellaDementiaCafes.com.au
2017 Dates and Program listed below
Who is the Umbrella Dementia Cafe?
We are a peer support group made up of couples, families and people living at home with dementia in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne, Australia. We casually meet once a month socialising, laughing and exchanging ideas about what it means to live better and longer at home with dementia. We support each other through the good and tough times, talk about what's important to us and importantly, what services are available to help us live our best lives.
Our group is made up of people living at home with dementia and their support person. The support people in our group include sons, daughters and spouses who provide daily care for their loved one diagnosed with a dementia disease such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s or Lewy Bodies Dementia.
Together, as a group, we share what is important to us and the volunteers of our cafe work together to organise needs-based, person-centred activities for next the morning tea, with the aim of taking these ideas home with us.
Therefore the cafe and its activities are a team effort. Lead by Director of the cafe, Kirsty Porter, a dedicated group of volunteers work towards making a real difference in the lives of those living with dementia in our community.
The volunteers who support the Umbrella Dementia Cafe are made up of many enthusiastic local Blackburn groups. These groups include local families, businesses wanting to become dementia inclusive, and businesses who have a dementia specific service.
But what make us a stand out, is that we welcome children from the local Blackburn Primary School who bring the magic and enthusiasm to our little group. With Kirsty’s support these amazing children are embracing the ideals of innovation, education and awareness; certain to have far reaching and a positive impact in years to come. Their involvement in the cafe is supported by both their wonderful parents and teachers.
We are also very fortunate and excited to have Amy Thomas, a Registered Music Therapist from Monash Health, who donates her time to the cafe each month. She helps us navigate a personalised approach to music that aims to enhance and enrich positive behaviours while living at home with dementia.
We welcome new caregiver couples (in what-ever form that is) to our peer-support group. Please check out the Facebook page to get regular updates, photos and outcomes of each cafe. We are pleased to confirm that a dedicated website is in development and will be launched soon.
We will meet every first Tuesday of the month in 2017. The hire of the hall One Church is sponsored by the wonderful Menarock Aged Care Services and Wilfred & Hunter florists.
Please contact us if you’d like to be a part of The Umbrella Dementia Café or have a service, activity or product you think we could benefit from.
Look forward to meeting you,
~ Staying Connected to Self, Family & Community ~
The Umbrella Dementia Cafe team, Blackburn, Melbourne
Inspired by Alzheimer’s Cafes and Memory Cafes across the United Kingdom, America, Europe and Canada, The Age Of Senescence presents its own dementia cafe called
THE UMBRELLA
DEMENTIA CAFE
"For the community, by the community"
Our scheduled cafes for 2017
|
Tuesday 4th April Dancing with Lisa Koba at TapFit Melbourne Tuesday 2nd May Music, Alzheimers Australia, Students Monash University Tuesday 6th June Creative Dementia with Pamela Aldridge Tuesday 4th July DANCING with Dementia with Lisa Koba (Families Invited) Tuesday 1st August Inside Gardening Tuesday 5th September Singing and Music Tuesday 3rd October DANCING with Dementia with Lisa Koba (Families Invited) Tuesday 14th November Our Favourite Hobbies Tuesday 5th December The Christmas Party!! |
Please register your interest and RSVP below.
Where: The One. Community Centre, Surrey Rd, Blackburn, Melbourne. (disability friendly & not faith bias).
Time: 10am - 12 noon
Who: People living with dementia, their primary care-partners and anyone interested in dementia. Care-partners required to stay (this is very important).
* If you are a professional person attending it is crucial you RSVP as we’ll require you to complete forms protecting the children who attend the cafe
Cost: $5 per person on the day. 100% will be used to purchase equipment and resources for the next cafe.
Contact: Kirsty Porter (email: kirsty@umbrelladementiacafes.com.au)
Kirsty is a registered nurse with 20 years experience in the aged care sector with specialised knowledge and experience with all stages and types of dementia diseases.
(See more about Kirsty here)
Proudly Sponsored by a local aged care team Menarock Aged Care Services.
Click on the logo below to learn more about what amazing services Menarock provide for the aged care community.
Our little video about what we are doing in Blackburn, Melbourne in Australia
DEMENTIA CAFÉ AROUND THE WORLD
The dementia café concept originated in Netherlands in 1997 as a peer support group combating the issues of stigmatisation, isolation and to ultimately increase dementia awareness in local communities. There are now community run dementia cafés operating successfully in the US, Canada, the UK and many other European countries. Our aim is to follow these same global ideals, which are consistent with our own Australian National Framework for Action on Dementia (priorities 1 to 4).
A UK EXAMPLE
By the Alzheimer's Association, UK
RSVP
If you would like to join us at the cafe or want more personalised information please drop me an email by filling out the RSVP form (here) . I look forward to personally inviting you or answer any queries about this event.
The Wymondham Dementia Support Group - Pabulum Cafe (Norwich, UK)
Sent us a beautiful video welcoming us to the dementia cafe global community
Follow the conversation FACEBOOK, we have our very own dedicated page: The Umbrella Dementia Café.
Click the Facebook logo to go straight to the page.
The Umbrella Dementia Cafe featured in the media
Blogs with a focus on dementia
The Artistry of Caregiving: A Book Review
The Artistry of Caregiving: Letters to Inspire Your Caregiving Journey – A Book Review – Written by Kirsty Porter 16 May 2017 ~ Nurse and Aged Care Enthusiast ~ Dear Carole Brecht, I was so inspired by your book and the style in which you delivered it, I decided to write this book review to read more…
7 Top Tips For A Dementia Friendly Family Christmas.
7 Top Tips For A Dementia-Friendly Family Christmas. Written by Kirsty Porter • 18 December 2016 • Nurse and Aged Care Enthusiast It’s Christmas again, and everyone wants to know, “What are we doing about Dad?” David has Alzheimer’s Disease and has been living with this disease for 4 years now. He is getting really read more…
The Umbrella Dementia Cafe Radio Interview
The Umbrella Dementia Cafe Radio Interview Written by Kirsty Porter • 9 October 2016 • Nurse and Aged Care Enthusiast. The marketing for The Umbrella Dementia Cafe is in full swing. The event has had two major promotional gigs this week. A full editorial appeared in the local Whitehorse Leader newspaper about the cafe event and the read more…
What is the difference between dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease?
What is the difference between dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease? Written by Kirsty Porter • 3 October 2016 • Nurse and Aged Care Enthusiast. Dementia is an umbrella term used to describe symptoms of a degenerative brain disease. Dementia is to Alzheimer’s what fruit is to an apple or what shortness of breath is to Asthma. Dementia read more…
Gene Wilder, Stigma and A Child’s Smile
Gene Wilder, Stigma and A Child’s Smile Written by Kirsty Porter • 12 September 2016 • Nurse and Aged Care Enthusiast It’s been more than two weeks now since Gene Wilder died, and I’m still struggling with it. We may never know the full reason why Mr. Wilder and his loving family respectfully wanted to keep read more…