Kildare Dementia Café being launched by Older Voices Kildare and LEADER partnership

Minister Mary Butler, Minister of State at the Health Department, joined Older Voices Kildare and County Kildare LEADER Partnership today to inaugurate the much-awaited Kildare Dementia Café. The event took place at the Kildare Community Development Centre and was attended by individuals living with dementia, their families, caregivers, and support networks.

The idea for a Dementia Café in Kildare was initiated in 2022 by the staff of Older Voices Kildare. Caroline Morrin, Coordinator and Susan Higgins, Befriending Support Worker sought the support of County Kildare LEADER Partnership, who generously provided the space in their Kildare town premises for the café's monthly meetings. The Alzheimer's Society of Ireland Dementia Advisor for CHO7, Rosalyn Groarke, worked closely with the staff of Older Voices Kildare to help establish the dementia café.

The Kildare Dementia Café will be held from 2:30 pm to 4:30 pm on the last Thursday of every month at the Kildare Community Development Centre, Eircode R51 RF88. This café aims to provide a supportive environment where individuals living with dementia, their families, and friends can share experiences, receive reliable information about dementia care and support, and establish connections within the community. It will provide informative talks by guest speakers on various dementia-related topics such as legal issues, nutrition, and the impact of memory challenges on daily life. 

Caroline Morrin, the Older Voices Co-Ordinator, expressed her enthusiasm, stating, "This is a hugely positive development for people with dementia and their families and carers...The Dementia Café will take place every last Thursday of the month in a welcoming, informal, and comfortable setting, where everyone can meet and be supported together."

At its core, the Kildare Dementia Café seeks to create a welcoming and inclusive space for accessing and sharing information, experiences, and becoming part of a supportive community. The Irish Dementia Café Network offers valuable support, resources, and guidance to existing cafés while also encouraging the establishment of new ones. Through this network, communities are mobilised, fostering learning opportunities and networking for member cafés.

According to the Seanad Éireann debate in March 2022, the number of people living with dementia in Ireland currently exceeds 64,000, with projections estimating a rise to 150,000 by 2050. To address this growing concern, the National Dementia Office initiated the Dementia Post-diagnostic Support Project in 2017. As part of this effort, Engaging Dementia was commissioned to establish the Irish Dementia Café Network, which was successfully launched in September 2020.

For further information about the Kildare Dementia Café or any related inquiries, please contact Caroline Morrin, Co-Ordinator of Older Voices Kildare, at oldervoiceskildare@countykildarelp.ie or 086-1372871.