REDLANDS residents living with dementia will benefit from a Memory Cafe opening at Cleveland next week.
The concept is based on the first Alzheimer Cafe, which was established by a doctor in the Netherlands in the late 90s.
The cafe is being launched by the Redlands Dementia Community Steering Committee from 10am to 11.30am on Tuesday, September 10 at Cafe Arabica, 187 Middle Road, Cleveland.
Centacare's dementia strategy manager Ann Donaghy said the Memory Cafes were a great way to support people with dementia.
"They offer the opportunity for both the care partner and person living with dementia to socialise together, have a chat with like-minded people, share ideas that might help support each other and that may limit feelings of loneliness, isolation and stigma that is more often the case," Ms Donaghy said.
The Memory Cafe launch is being held the week before Dementia Action Week from September 16 to 22.
The campaign theme is Dementia doesn't discriminate. Do you?. Dementia Australia hopes that people will talk about how discrimination impacts people living with dementia, their families and carers.
Dementia Australia chief executive Maree McCabe said people can choose not to be discriminatory in their interaction with individuals living with the chronic condition.
"A person living with dementia might be ignored or dismissed in conversations," Ms McCabe said. "Sometimes people without realising will talk directly to the carer as if the person living with dementia is not even there."
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