BY MALLORIE MCCOY FOR THE OBSERVER

EAST ALABAMA — The Lee-Rusell Council of Governments’ Area Agency on Aging offered a Memory Café event on Dec. 16 at its main office, located on 2207 Gateway Drive in Opelika.
The primary goal of the Area Agency on Aging is to provide services, support, education and counseling to those caring for someone living with a cognitive issue.
The Memory Café is a national movement to provide social events for caregivers and their person living with dementia. The local program received a grant from Dementia Friendly Alabama to conduct the Memory Café events.
The events are developed and hosted by Alabama Cares Coordinator Leisa Askew. Every month there is a different location where the events take place and a coordinated theme.
“We try to do stuff they normally don’t get to do,” said Askew. “It is something for them to be social and have some normalcy.”
The Memory Café event for December started off by visitors engaging in Christmas trivia while popcorn, candy and sodas were served prior to a showing of the holiday classic, “Frosty the Snowman.”
After the movie, lunch was catered by Taco Mama which Askew said was a “group favorite.” Santa and the Grinch stopped by to hand out wrapped presents for every guest in attendance.
“We get sponsors from the community sometimes to help cover lunch [such as] home health agencies and hospices,” said Askew.
Home Instead, a home health care services company, was responsible for making sure that all guests at the event had a wrapped Christmas present at the December event.
Memory Café was started two and a half years ago. At first, the Lee-Russell agency hosted three café events per year, but it became a monthly ritual due to popularity and turn out.
Some past events include Turkey Trot Bingo for Thanksgiving, a Watermelon Social in the summer, an Auburn tailgate at the local airport with Aubie in attendance and a visit to Storybook Farm to make horse treats to feed to the animals.
“Anyone is invited. They don’t have to be a client or a part of our agency,” said Askew. “It is a community wide event.”
Information about the Memory Café events can be found on the Lee-Rusell Council of Governments website under the events tab, their Facebook page and by calling the main office at (334) 749-5264.
Additionally, there are other program benefits and resources available to dementia caregivers and patients. Some include the zoom care-partner support groups hosted twice a month, and the Reach Program, an adult day program held at the main office on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 10 a.m to 2 p.m.
“I may not know all the answers, I may not have all the solutions, but together we’ll figure it out,” said Askew. “And I tell every one of my caregivers that so that they know there’s somebody there on their side.”