Anna Macer invites local carers of people with dementia to relax at her twice-monthly meet-up

Dementia cafes are places for carers to meet to talk freely and without judgment (credit Dennis Brendel via Unsplash) — credit Dennis Brendel via Unsplash

Since launching in October 2021 we have enjoyed a steady flow of carers to our twice-monthly dementia café at St Stephen’s Church in Bush Hill Park.

Sadly, due to the nature of dementia, many of our café users have either lost their loved ones or moved them into permanent care and are now less regular visitors to us. All have said how helpful it has been to be able to get feelings off their chest and share with others who are currently in or have walked in the same shoes – caring for a loved one with dementia.

Our aim is to offer more than coffee, cake and chat. We also want to keep carers updated with new developments in treatments for dementia sufferers. Any one of us could be a sufferer in future years, so having up-to-date information is essential. To this end we would like to invite speakers from Alzheimer’s Research UK and the Alzheimer’s Society to attend the café, but we need more carers visiting to make it a viable proposition for these busy organisations.

Age UK Enfield does a fantastic job of providing support for dementia sufferers, but we concern ourselves with their carers. Lucid conversations can be had with loved ones up to the end, but nothing prepares you for how it is to find your loved one inhabiting a different planet from the one you are on. Just being able to give vent to those feelings and frustrations with others who have experienced similar situations somehow gives one the strength to carry on, knowing they are not alone in this awful situation.

So please do come and see us and mention our free café to anyone you know who could benefit from coffee, cake and a chat!

H’s Dementia Café for Carers takes place on the second and third Monday of the month, from 2-4pm, at St Stephen’s Church (small hall) in Bush Hill Park. For more information:
Call 07710 043 421
Email [email protected]

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