Bournemouth Care Home Opens Dementia Friendly Café For The Local Community

Staff at RMBI Care Co. Home Zetland Court, in Bournemoth, have recently set up ZetCafe24, a dementia friendly café. The aim is to provide social gatherings for people living with dementia, families and professionals in the local area, where they all can share information and experiences as well as speak openly about this condition.

Guests can discuss their own dementia diagnosis or someone else’s, obtain advice from the Home’s Dementia Advisor and the Frailty Team, and meet new friends in a calm and safe environment. The café runs the last Thursday of every month from 2 to 4 pm.

“I’ll definitely be coming to the next one. This is a lovely social for my mum!” says one of the attendants.

“I have opened many dementia friendly cafés in Hampshire, both in care homes and in community spaces, such as GP surgeries, shops and community buildings,” recalls Sue Wiffen, Zetland Court’s Deputy Home Manager and Dementia Advisor for ZetCafe24. “Navigating a dementia diagnosis can sometimes feel daunting, so we want to provide friendship and support for those looking for advice, whilst enjoying a cuppa in a tranquil community environment.”

The care home also offers music therapy, reminiscence sessions using assistive technology to enhance memories, film afternoons and pet therapy. Visitors are also able to enjoy the extensive gardens of the Home, just a short walk away from the beach, as well as tea, coffee and cakes.

Dementia friendly cafés have become more relevant in recent years. According to Alzheimer’s Society, 850,000 people are estimated to be living with dementia in the UK. One million people will have dementia by 2025, and this is expected to increase to two million by 2050.