{"id":22762,"date":"2025-04-01T14:12:14","date_gmt":"2025-04-01T18:12:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/geiselmed.dartmouth.edu\/news\/?p=22762"},"modified":"2025-04-08T11:15:12","modified_gmt":"2025-04-08T15:15:12","slug":"geisel-students-relaunch-memory-cafe-to-support-individuals-with-dementia-and-their-families","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/geiselmed.dartmouth.edu\/news\/2025\/geisel-students-relaunch-memory-cafe-to-support-individuals-with-dementia-and-their-families\/","title":{"rendered":"Geisel Students Relaunch Memory Caf\u00e9 to Support Individuals with Dementia and their Families"},"content":{"rendered":"

In 2023, when Geisel School of Medicine student Fares Awa MED \u201926 was a Community Health Scholar (CHS) involved with a variety of projects in the Upper Valley, he and faculty advisor Roshini Pinto-Powell, MD, floated ideas about stand-alone projects that could further integrate CHS into the community. Pinto-Powell mentioned the Memory Caf\u00e9 and its positive effect on the community.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Founded by a psychiatrist in the Netherlands in the late 1990s, Memory Caf\u00e9s are a welcoming and supportive space for individuals with dementia and their families to socialize, participate in cognitive and physical activities, arts and crafts, and live music.<\/span>
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Fares Awa MED \u201926<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

With a strong presence in the Upper Valley since 2011, the local Memory Caf\u00e9 waned during the COVID-19 pandemic in the early 2020s. Although Geisel medical students were involved with the Caf\u00e9, Awa and Pinto-Powell realized reviving it wasn\u2019t a suitable project for CHS\u2014the Caf\u00e9 needed more funding and programming than CHS could give.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The good news is that Memory Caf\u00e9 is back in Hanover thanks to two Geisel students\u2014Awa and Stefano Rozental MED \u201926 who applied for and received a start-up grant\u2014and their faculty advisor Pinto-Powell along with Upper Valley community partner the Aging Resource Center. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe were motivated to make this happen,\u201d Awa says. \u201cThere is clearly a need, and there is evidence this was successful for the community. Our goal was to reinstate this in a way that is impactful for people who need it most.\u201d <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A quote from the Memory Caf\u00e9\u2019s founder guided Awa and Rozental: \u201cThe best Memory Caf\u00e9s are the ones where you can\u2019t distinguish who has dementia and who doesn\u2019t.\u201d\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Meeting the first Saturday of each month at Hanover\u2019s Howe Library, the Memory Caf\u00e9 is both a revival and a pilot program with expanded activities.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In addition to socializing with coffee and snacks, families participate in music therapy with the Dartmouth Fort\u00e9\u2014another partnership\u2014for up to 30 minutes or longer. \u201cThe group performs their own songs along with older songs that people can sing along to, so it\u2019s a good mix of fresh work and things that remind people of happy memories,\u201d Awa says. \u201cEveryone has a good time.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Physical activities such as chair volleyball and chair hockey often lead to a competitive game that participants enjoy. With themed arts activities\u2014some are organized around holidays\u2014people select what they want to do and can go at their own pace.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Stefano Rozental MED \u201926<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cThere are also sessions for the caregivers with a brief power point on a specific topic of their choosing and an informal discussion about the topic or any other concerns that the group may have,\u201d Rozental says. Topics include nutrition, at home activities, how to increase day-to-day physical exercise, the mental health aspect of caregiving and how to identify anxiety and depression in themselves and those they are caring for, and how to get ahead of the curve in<\/span> terms of self-care. These information sessions set Memory Caf\u00e9 in the Upper Valley apart from others.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cFares and I have had many discussions with families about how the Caf\u00e9 has been cherished by everyone involved,\u201d Rozental adds. \u201cParticipants have also mentioned how nice it is to chat with medical students and with people who are genuinely interested in getting to know them and their loved one.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI think a lot of that comes from the fact that it is a very laid-back program\u2014there is no differentiating. We try our best to make sure everyone is seen as the same and everyone is treated that same.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

To ensure sustainability, Awa and Rozental are collecting data on caregiver burden and stress to see how that changes over this first year and are applying for a Dartmouth community service-learning grant. \u201cOur initial grant was used for starting up and buying materials that will be used for the next few years,\u201d Awa explains. \u201cNext year, our community partners, the Aging Resource Center and the Howe Library, will be helping with some of our expenses and we are really motivated to find another donor who can cover the remaining portion of the yearly expenses.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n