Dedicated volunteers from St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church in Estes Park—known locally as St. Bart’s—are improving the lives of people living with dementia and those that care for them.
With guidance from Fort Collins-based Dementia Together, the parish started a “Memory Café” where individuals living with dementia and their caregivers join the volunteers in a welcoming and supportive environment for support on what is a challenging journey.
The National Institute on Aging defines dementia as “the loss of cognitive functioning—thinking, remembering and reasoning.” Individuals with dementia lose cognitive function steadily over time. It is a progressive disorder, not the result of a sudden event.
“Dementia is a one-way street,” explained Jane Stuart, coordinator of the church members who volunteer in the Memory Café. There is no cure for dementia, but social interactions, such as those at the Memory Café, have been shown to slow the cognitive decline and ease the stress in caregivers.
“We started out in 2018 because we had people in our congregation who were on the journey of dementia,” Stuart said. Once established, the Memory Café opened its doors to people from throughout the Estes Valley community. They now hope to help other congregations start their own Memory Cafés.
St. Bart’s Memory Café meets once a month in the social hall of church. “This is a place just for fun,” said Stuart. “We sing songs that everybody knows, we do activities, we play games.”
The volunteer staff are not healthcare professionals; they do not diagnose or treat dementia. They maintain a calm and accepting attitude. “It is a social event that brings joy and things to do together,” said Stuart, emphasizing that the Memory Café serves both the individual with dementia and the caregiver.
Each individual with dementia is accompanied by a caregiver, often a family member, sometimes a paid companion. The Memory Café volunteers take this opportunity to teach caregivers the best strategies for helping individuals with dementia. They lead by example, giving each person attention, and providing guidance according to their need.
At the October meeting, volunteers led the singing of some old standards before beginning the morning’s project—decorating pumpkins for Halloween with paint, brushes, and stickers.
Stuart surveyed the room. Everyone was working on their pumpkins as volunteers moved among them, providing non-judgmental encouragement. The atmosphere was relaxed and inclusive.
“I always feel better after being here,” said one woman, cheerfully decorating her pumpkin with self-adhesive plastic jewels. “I always come away happy.”
Also visiting the Memory Café at the October meeting was another highly-appreciated “staff member”—Heidi, a trained therapy dog. Judy Archibald brings Heidi, a 3-year-old shepherd mix with a serene manner and an imperturbable attitude, to the Memory Café to give the participants another source of comfort and friendship.
Lea Colvill, the rector of St. Bart’s, also joined the group. She supports the parish’s tradition of social action and community involvement. “Most every social and emotional breakdown begins with a damaged community,” said Colvill who wants to help repair the damage and bring people together. “That’s what we’re doing here, right? Friendship, and fun. And food. Because it’s church.”
Vicki Lujan, a volunteer from St. Bart’s took a break to admire all the smiling faces around the room,
“They come because they make friends here,” she said. “Social interaction is so important. Otherwise, they go inward and shut down, and then there’s nothing.” At the Memory Café, the emphasis is on what they can do, not what they cannot do.
“The Memory Café is open to all,” said Stuart. “It is a journey, for both the caregiver and the person with dementia.”
The Memory Café meets on the second Thursday of each month in the social hall at St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church, 880 MacGregor Ave. It begins promptly at 10 a.m., lasting until 11:30 a.m. For more information, call Katrina in the Church office at 970-586-4504.
Dementia Together, the organization supporting the volunteers at St. Bart’s, is sponsoring a symposium for individuals living with dementia and their caregivers on Oct. 23 from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Estes Valley Community Center, 666 Community Drive in Estes Park, Admission to the conference is free. Information and registration are available at their website, www.DementiaTogether.org.