Agenda item

To receive a presentation from Camberley Alzheimer Café.

The Committee received a presentation from Maureen Hume from Camberley Alzheimer Café (CAC). The organisation had 17 members in its team, all of whom had experienced of dementia in friends or family. CAC followed the education programme that had been established in the Netherlands in 1997 and brought to the UK in 2000 by Dr Gemma Jones. The programme for Alzheimer Cafés was the same worldwide, which enabled visiting families to attend any Café and relax, knowing what they would experience.

Members were reminded that dementia was an umbrella term for up to 200 conditions, caused by diseases that affect the brain.  It was advised that some conditions were treatable and dementia was not an inevitable part of getting older. However, it was a progressive disease that ultimate resulted in death due to health complications.

CAC provided monthly meetings, offering friendship, stimulation through live music, colour, fragrance, and taste. Attendees were provided with education from specialists in clinical practice today, including representatives from the Alzheimer Society and NHS, along with signposting to appropriate services. It offered refreshments, including cooked meals, tea and coffee, and provided a time for guests to exchange experiences and make friends. For carers, the meetings provided a place of safety and relaxation, providing respite, education and understanding of the condition to help them provide care, and an opportunity to witness pleasure in their loved ones participating in activities.

CAC also provided training days for the NHS, Nursing Home staff, carers, or anyone else interested in dementia. Volunteers also received support, including utilising access to the Westminster Forum, an advice group to MPs on health matters, transcripts and recordings.

Members were advised that over time the organisation had needed to adapt to needs within the locality. During the pandemic, monthly zoom meetings had been conducted, along with weekly ‘keeping in touch’ phone calls for residents who selected to receive this option, which had proved to be a vital service and had resulted in a number of families being referred for safeguarding concerns. The Adult Social Care team’s response to these referrals was commended. Since the re-introduction of face to face meetings in April 2022, two members of the team had continued to conduct the weekly phone calls.

Members were reminded that CAC had run the Man with a Pan courses for 4 years, which had provided cookery skills to men who were windowed or had recently taken on caring responsibilities. During its operation, 100 people had participated in the scheme, including participants referred by the Hope Hub who had gained skills which had assisted with them finding employment. Some former participants now served the food at the monthly meetings.

The Committee was informed that CAC was continually seeking funding opportunities to help continue running the monthly cafés and provide workshops. It was suggested that CAC should seek support from the Council’s grant schemes. The Café had recently moved to St Martin’s Church, Camberley. In addition, a Memories Café would soon be held at High Cross Church, Camberley on the fourth Wednesday of each month, thus providing two opportunities per month for residents to attend meetings.

RESOLVED  to note the presentation.

Note: It was noted for the record that Councillor Paul Deach declared that he had allocated funding from his Surrey County Council Members’ Community Allocation to the organisation.