A new memory café has opened in Jackson with hopes of giving Alzheimer’s and dementia patients, along with their caregivers, a supportive environment to socialize and engage in activities.
AARP Mississippi, in partnership with the Central Mississippi Planning Development District and Ebony Pearls Foundation, held a ribbon-cutting Wednesday for Ethel’s Place Memory Café. Ethel’s is located at The Ivy Point on I-55 Frontage Road and will be open from 9 a.m. until 11 a.m. on the second Wednesday of each month.
“AARP Mississippi is pleased to partner with the Central Mississippi Planning and Development District and Ebony Pearls Foundation to present Ethel’s Place Memory Café to the community,” AARP Mississippi director Kimberly L. Campbell said. “Memory cafés have been shown to offer support for family caregivers and their loved ones.”
According to Campbell, the café will aid those suffering from memory-loss conditions to be able to build connections with others without the pressure or stigma often associated with cognitive challenges.
Ethel’s Place will be staffed by trained volunteers working through the Dementia Friends program, which is a social action movement run by the Alzheimer’s Society and Dementia Friendly America. The program aims to change the way people think, act, and talk about Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.
