Forget-me-not: Gnarogin memory cafe creates a welcoming space for people living with dementia

On the third Thursday of each month, the Narrogin Forget-me-not Memory Cafe opens at the Gnarojin Community Garden from 10.30am providing a place for people affected by dementia to come together. The program was developed in WA by former Toodyay librarian Angi McCluskey after her husband Michael was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. “Her husband was a very active, friendly, community-minded person and they felt a bit lost,” Narrogin cafe organiser Kay Weaver said. “They were a very social couple and she realised that their friends were drifting away and they didn’t have anywhere to go to socialise — people don’t always know how to speak with someone with dementia.” In response, Ms McCluskey founded the Memory Cafe program in Roleystone in 2017, an initiative that saw her awarded West Australian Senior of the Year in 2019. “They started by organising coffee mornings at cafes around Perth,” Ms Weaver said. “Now there are multiple places where people can get together regularly and I thought that it would be a great thing to start here.” Ms Weaver said that the Gnarojin Community Garden on Hale Street was a relaxing place to host the regular meet-ups which began taking place three years ago. “It’s a lovely location, it’s peaceful and it has a circular path which is great for people with dementia to walk around,” she said. “And there’s lots to look at outside, birds and chooks — most people remember having chickens as kids.” Reminiscence can give people with dementia a sense of agency and an important part of the memory cafe meets are the singalongs led by Jan Smith. “Music is one of the things that stick with you the longest,” Ms Weaver said. “We always get everyone involved in singing, if people hear music they’ll often join in. Music is really important and people get a lot of pleasure out of singing. “ Ms Weaver said that all community members whose lives had been touched by dementia were welcome to attend the monthly catch-up. “It’s a nice morning tea and a pleasant social interaction,” she said. “A free morning tea at the garden for people looking after people with dementia and people with dementia to come together, enjoy a cup of tea and some singing.”