FSL (Foundation for Senior Living) is proud to support the opening of the first Memory Café program in Glendale, vice-chaired by FSL’s own West Valley ReCreacíon Center director Valerie Blair. This initiative brings resources to those living with dementia, traumatic brain injury, or other conditions causing impaired memory and their caregivers.

“FSL is proud to support the opening of the first Memory Café group in Glendale,” said Valerie Blair, center director of FSL West Valley ReCreacíon and vice-chair of the Dementia Friends Glendale Action Team. “This is a safe space for individuals with dementia, traumatic brain injuries or physical limitations to come with their caregivers for a shared experience where they can find community, engage in activities, and receive peer support.”

Meetings at the Memory Café consist of informational and social/emotional support session for family caregivers while the care recipients participate in enrichment activities. Caregivers can join the activities to create a shared experience. Each meeting will tend to focus on topics designed to encourage reminiscing about times gone by, allowing participants to build comforting, medically beneficial connections to the past.

“We welcome the Memory Café to our community,” said Tami Bohannon, president and CEO, FSL. “This program assists in creating connections and community for people living with dementia and their caregivers, but it also creates opportunities for special moments of bonding for those caring for their loved ones in an environment that is adapted to their needs.”

The program is hosted by Dementia Friendly Glendale, a collaborative effort led by the City of Glendale along with key internal and external stakeholders committed to building a more dementia-friendly community. Dementia Friendly Glendale is part of Dementia Friendly America, a national network of communities, organizations and individuals working to ensure the availability of resources within the community for people living with dementia and their caregivers.

The Memory Café takes place on the third Tuesday of each month at the Foothills Recreation & Aquatic Center in Glendale. This free-of-charge program runs from 10 – 11:30 a.m.

To learn more about the Glendale Memory Café, contact team chair Jeannie Grates at [email protected] or team co-chair Valerie Blair at [email protected].

To learn more about FSL, visit http://www.fsl.org.

About FSL:
FSL is a 501(c)(3) organization whose mission is to provide home and community-based services and to develop energy-efficient, affordable housing to promote health, independence and dignity for all. With a long history of helping Arizona families with issues including health, hunger, aging, illness, loneliness and substandard housing, FSL is committed to improving the quality of life for all Arizonans. To learn more about FSL programs and services, visit fsl.org.