In 1997, Dutch clinical psychologist Dr. Bère Miesen came up with the unique idea to start the first Alzheimer’s Café, a place with a welcoming atmosphere in an accessible location where all people changed by dementia could meet and feel at ease. The idea eventually came to the United States where it is known by many names, the most common being a Memory Café.
Dementia Friendly Pennsylvania developed the Memory Café Guide to encourage the growth of memory cafés throughout the state and to support those interested in facilitating, hosting, or volunteering at these events. Download this free guide to get more information and assistance in starting a Memory Café in your community.
We appreciate your dedication to making Pennsylvania and your local area more dementia-friendly!
The Department of Aging is proud of its unwavering partnership with Dementia Friendly Pennsylvania and our joint commitment in supporting and serving Pennsylvanians living with Alzheimer’s and Dementia-related disorders, their families, and caregivers. Working together is how we change and improve our system and services. Thanks to this collaboration we now have a Memory Café guide – a comprehensive resource with everything you need to start your own café. I hope this guide inspires everyone in the Commonwealth to have a conversation around Alzheimer’s and Dementia-related disorders and discover how a Memory Café can become a welcoming, inclusive, and transformative space in their community
Jason Kavulich, Pennsylvania Secretary of Aging