De Café

For people with dementia and their carers some of the issues commonly highlighted include loneliness, isolation and a lack of opportunities to speak to others in similar situations to themselves.

In an attempt to address some of these issues, Ceartas, in conjunction with Carers Link, have set up a "Dementia Café" in East Dunbartonshire.

De Café is a café for people with dementia and their carers. It is an informal setting where people with dementia and their carers can meet and speak to each other.

The Dementia Café is based on the work of Dutch psychologists, Miesen and Blom* who established the first Alzheimer Café in 1997 as a forum in which people with dementia, their carers, family and professionals could come together to share experiences, offer support and learn. The Dementia Café is based on this model of support within an informal venue in the community.

"the information you get here is great".

"they make you feel at home"

"It’s good to come to a place with 'real' people"

"It helps having other people around who really know what you’re talking about"

De Café aims to…

• Provide a relaxed and informal environment where people with dementia and their carers can talk to each other about some of the issues faced living with a diagnosis of dementia.
• Provide information about dementia and local services for people living with dementia and their carers.
• Prevent isolation for people with dementia and their carers and promote peer support.
• Encourage access to advocacy and other support at an early stage

* "The Alzheimer Café – a guideline for setting one up", from the original "Handleiding Alzheimer Café" by Biere Miesen and Marco Blom, translated and adapted by Gemma Jones.