Connection Café: What’s that?

Brought to You by - Roswell Senior Center

It wasn’t long after Virginia was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s that her husband, Anthony, started having trouble finding meaningful ways to engage with her. Anthony’s days were lived by a checklist – Making breakfast – check. Morning medications –check. Help with bathing – check. Getting dressed for the day – check… check…check. As Virginia progressed through her disease it became more difficult to accomplish tasks on the list - Virginia would insist she already took her medications that day, or that she didn’t need a shower. Frustration would kick in for both and the whole day would become a battle. They’d go to sleep, wake up the next morning and attempt the checklist all over again.

Caring for a loved one with dementia can trigger significant relationship changes. The new caregiver morphs from a loving family member into a role that is task and service oriented. It’s easy for a caregiver to become burned out, leaving little energy to engage in fun and meaningful time together. Or, as in the case of Virginia’s changing abilities, how to have fun together. This is where Connection Café comes in!

Connection Café is a no-cost social gathering which allows people experiencing memory loss and their loved ones to connect with each other through activities, socialize, and build a new support network. Care partners can witness trained staff and volunteers model effective ways to communicate and interact with their family members, and they learn new activities and techniques that can be used at home. The group meets twice a month at the Roswell Senior Center and provides a break in the day-today and an opportunity to meet other families who are walking the same path.

Alyss Amster is the Associate

Executive Director of the Dementia Spotlight Foundation, the organization that runs the Connection Café at the Roswell Senior Center. “Alzheimer’s and the many related dementias are misunderstood in our society. Our attendees can be themselves in a safe environment where everyone understands”, Amster said.

For our May 5th Connection Café, Perfect Harmony Health will be leading the group in music therapy exercises. Research shows that rhythm and music affect multiple areas of the human brain on a subconscious level. Because of this, rhythm can be used to help build new connections in the brain thus improving brain function.

If you are caring for a loved one with dementia and would like more information on attending an upcoming Connection Café, contact Alyss Amster at 678-332-1711 or alyss@ dementiaspotlightfoundation.org

Connection Café at the Roswell Senior Center

1250 Warsaw Road – Roswell, GA 1st and 3rd Friday of the month