“Dementia-Friendly Communities of Northern Colorado” is now Dementia Together.
The dementia journey can be overwhelming, but we believe no one has to walk it alone. Even now. Through education and enrichment, we’re working to make living well with dementia the expectation, not the exception.
Cyndy Luzinski,
MS, RN, Executive
Director, Dementia
Together
We are still finding ways, even in the culture of physical distancing, to promote social connection and compassion, reaching the very people most greatly at risk with Covid-19 exposure and social isolation. In March, we quickly pivoted away from monthly in-person memory cafes to weekly virtual memory cafes which take place every Thursday at 10 am and 1 pm. Memory cafes are interactive themed social gatherings with reminiscing, games, laughter, and music for people with mild to moderate cognitive impairment and their care partners, as well as community friends. We offer memory cafes for residents in long-term care communities too.
One participant shared, “We’ve felt other friends backing away ever since my spouse got the diagnosis. This social distancing isn’t new for us. That’s why (Dementia Together is) so important. We don’t have to explain ourselves. Understanding is assumed.”
Dementia Together is also staying connected to the old-fashioned way with meal drops, letters, and phone calls. These small efforts confirm that a little kindness goes a long way in helping our friends know they aren’t forgotten. This is crucial, especially considering the association of loneliness with cognitive decline and depression.
We do not charge for our care partner education or life enrichment programming so that cost is never a barrier to participation. If you are serving in a caregiving role or living with dementia; if you want to contribute; or if you just want to find out more, please call 970-305-5271 and check out our social media and website: DementiaTogether.org.
~ Cyndy Luzinski, MS, RN, Executive Director, Dementia Together