Birch Green’s Dementia Bistro Serves Up A Treat

A special dementia bistro at Birch Green is becoming a centre of the community with tea, coffee and cakes on the menu daily.

The Tea for Two Bistro – opened by author and campaigner Ian Donaghy recently – has become a firm favourite with residents, relatives and friends.

Ian wrote the book Dear Dementia: The Laughter and Tears to help share information on dementia for those interested in learning more, and he has also provided a series of training sessions for staff at Birch Green.

Birch Green general manager Carol Nickeas said: “The bistro is a special place for everyone associated with Birch Green, and means families and friends can share their own experiences and also benefit from the knowledge of our dementia advocates at the same time.

“We want to remind the local community that if anyone else wants to get involved they will be warmly welcomed as there’s always lots to do at the bistro as it’s a hive of activity.”

The Tea for Two Bistro at Birch Green is open 2-5pm daily, offering a selection of teas, coffees and cakes.

As a centre of expertise, staff member Gill Tugwell is also a dementia ambassador, leading the Focused Intervention Training and Support (FITS) project at Birch Green, one of just 150 homes in the country to commit to the training.

There are currently 800,000 people with dementia in the UK, expected to rise to more than a million by the year 2021.

The term dementia describes a set of symptoms that may include memory loss and difficulties with thinking, problem-solving or language. Dementia is caused when the brain is damaged by diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease or a series of strokes.