Jewish Family Service, a nondenominational social-services nonprofit, wants to give dementia patients and their caregivers a break.
So, it is inviting them to a dementia-friendly lunch with games that will start at noon on Friday, April 4, at the Park City Library, said Rosemary Quatrale, the service’s older adult care manager.
“This is for people who have dementia and are living in their own homes as well as their caregivers,” she said. “It’s a low-keyed, slow-paced activity, and we never talk about diagnosis. It’s just fun. It’s about having a good time together.”
The luncheon is a safe place for caregivers and patients, Quatrale said.
“If someone says the same thing 10 times in a row, no one worries about it,” she said. “And patients don’t have to feel like they’re struggling to fit in.”
The event is also free, Quatrale said.
“I would like people to RSVP,” she said. “That helps me with catering.”
RSVPs should be emailed to Quatrale at [email protected].
The lunch is one of the programs Jewish Family Service offers to the community, according to Quatrale.
“Every month I host a dementia-friendly activity of some sort in Salt Lake City, and we’re starting to do more in Summit and Wasatch counties,” she said. “We recently had a dementia-friendly movie showing at the Park City Library, and now we’re going to have games and lunch.”
Jewish Family Service hosts these events because there aren’t many like it, Quatrale said.
“Nobody else does this,” she said. “There are no community-based activity-based events for people with dementia. So we want to provide these free activities for them.”
The luncheon is one of other programs Quatrale organizes for Jewish Family Service. The others include a caregiver support group and Music & Memory, which provides personalized playlists to dementia patients.
“It is so important to offer these programs because if you have dementia, you actually live with that for years,” she said. “You take your loved one to the doctor and the doctor says, ‘Yes, you have some form of dementia, and I will see you in six months,’ but nobody really knows what to do or where to get help. And typically, many patients don’t get a lot of support from the doctor. So what are you supposed to do?”
While dementia is hard on the patient, it is also hard on caregivers, Quatrale said.
“Caregiving wears you down,” she said. “People don’t truly understand a lot about dementia. Yes, the person is forgetful, but that’s the tip of the iceberg. So providing educational and entertainment programming and things that give caregivers resources is so important.”
Quatrale emphasized the event is open to all denominations.
“I’m grateful to be part of it, and we’re thrilled to serve people in the Summit and Wasatch area,” she said.
Jewish Family Service Dementia-Friendly Lunch and Games
- When: Noon, Friday, April 4
- Where: Park City Library, 1255 Park Ave.
- Cost: Free, but RSVP is appreciated
- RSVP: [email protected]
- Web: jfsutah.org