Book:- The Alzheimer Cafe: why it works

The Alzheimer Café: why it works
By Gemma M. M. Jones

“Every medical student would learn from reading it.” -
Professor Tony Bayer, Acting Head of Department of Geriatric Medicine and Director of the Memory Team, Cardiff; and Editor in Chief of Reviews in Clinical Gerontology.

“An invaluable resource for health and social care professionals to learn about the invisible needs.” -
 J Martensson Hemsted

An Alzheimer Café is a monthly gathering where people with dementia, their family members/carers, care-giving professionals and volunteers meet together in a pleasant, casual environment. The goals include: making new social contacts, exchanging experiences, accessing information, answering ‘burning questions’, offering various types of support and providing psychological education about dementia pertaining to the emotional aspects of having dementia, or giving care.

This book has been written to celebrate the tenth anniversary of Alzheimer Cafés in the U.K. It does so by providing anecdotes, interviews and commentaries on some of the themes discussed and what benefits guests at the Farnborough Café have obtained from attending.

It answers frequently asked questions about hosting a Café, as well as adaptations that have been made to make it more participatory.

(published by 'The Wide Spectrum', 2010, 212 pages) 

Some proceeds from this book will go to the Alzheimer Café UK, Registered Charity (1122726)

About the author:

Gemma M. M. Jones studied biology, gerontology, and nursing. Her doctorate concerned the cognitive neuropsychopharmacology of Alzheimer’s disease. She has taught and written extensively about dementia and dementia care, and co-edited four volumes of ‘Care-giving in Dementia’ with Dr. Bère Miesen, founder of ‘the Alzheimer Café’. She was a member of the Nuffield Council on Bioethics workgroup which produced “Dementia: ethical issues” (2009), is co-founder of the first Alzheimer Café in the UK, and Chair of the Alzheimer Café UK Charity. She promotes dementia education via The Wide Spectrum Ltd.