Memory Cafe in St. Charles to fight dementia-related isolation

People with Alzheimer's disease and other dementias can find the challenges of dealing with the disease sometimes leads to losing social connections.

Connecting with others can be helpful in facing challenges the disease brings, according to Alzheimer's Speaks and the Alzheimer's Association.

Several Tri-Cities residents want to help patients and their caregivers by starting a Memory Cafe in St. Charles.

An organizational meeting is 10 to 11:15 a.m. Tuesday at the Arcedium Coffeehouse, 60 W. Indiana St. A second meeting is planned Feb. 24 at the Batavia Public Library at a time to be determined.

One of the co-organizers is former Geneva alderman Sam Hill.

"There seems to be no place where both patients with the Alzheimer's disease and their caregivers get together to meet other people with the same difficulties," Hill said of why the group is forming.

The idea is for people to meet in a relaxed environment to chat informally. Some groups include music or art projects among their offerings.

The concept was introduced in 1997 in the Netherlands. A psychiatrist specializing in geriatric issues had noticed people with dementia, their relatives and caregivers often avoided talking about the disease. He thought that talking about it, including what to expect, was important to accepting the illness.

For more information, call or write Barbara at (630) 643-2263 or bhk430@att.net, or call Hill at (630) 208-9151.