Visibility Matters
PCOA Opens LGBTQI+ Welcoming Memory Café for Pride Month
Café at The Katie
Arizona Senior Pride celebrating, supporting and uniting LGBTQI+ older adults 520-312-8923; info@soazseniorpride.org; soazseniorpride.org All in-person events require masks and vaccinations, bring your card. dementia-related social isolation. They provide a safe space for those living with dementia and their caregivers to come together for companionship, fun, and engaging activities. Memory Cafés are staffed by a team of people who are familiar with dementia and are trained to support attendees during the café. Since it can be assumed everyone at a Memory Café has some relationship to the disease, some may feel a sense of relief from the pressure of discussing their diagnosis or For more than 6 million Americans living with Alzheimer’s or other dementias, social isolation is a debilitating challenge of the disease. Whether from embarrassment over forgetting names of loved ones, fear of becoming confused in unfamiliar surroundings, or others not knowing how to support one living with neurocognitive decline, many people retreat from activities they used to enjoy. For LGBTQI+ people who already experience social isolation disproportionately, social isolation may be even more compounded for those with a dementia diagnosis. Recent studies have found the adverse health effects of prolonged social isolation are equivalent to smoking 15 cigarettes daily and that LGBTQI+ people are more likely to suffer from dementias. (SAGE 2019) Memory Cafés offer a solution to
On-going events: Registration is required for attendance - soazseniorpride.org GBTQI+ Mens Loss Group ; weekly on Tuesday; 1:30–3pm; in-person Elder Discussion/Support Group ; second Saturday; 1:30–3pm; in-person Southern Book Club ; third Wednesday; 2–3:30p; on Zoom Southern Arizona Senior Pride, our first session will be held Wednesday, June 22 at 10am at The Katie (600 S. Country Club) and will continue to be held on the fourth Wednesday of every month. We invite anyone living with dementia and their caregivers to join us for food, fun, and activities. Admission is free. For more information about PCOA’s Memory Cafés, please contact Harbhajan Khalsa at hkhalsa@pcoa.org or the Helpline at (520) 790-7262. trying to explain their symptoms. Cafés are also a place in which care partners can enjoy an opportunity to have fun with their care recipients, rather than focusing on issues or managing loss. They are welcoming of people at any stage in the progression of the disease and can be a supportive tool for many years. Fostering relationships outside the home, building tools that can ease symptoms, and providing mental stimulation are just a few of the benefits of a Memory Café. June is Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month, as well as LGBTQI+ Pride Month. In recognition of both, PCOA is glad to announce Pima County’s first LGBTQI+ Memory Café. In partnership with
A welcoming place for those experiencing memory loss, their friends, family, and caregivers. Be part of our community. We invite you to come socialize with others in a safe, supportive and fun environment.
Memory Cafés are a space for all to feel safe, valued and respected. This Memory Café is in partnership with Senior Pride.
Gathering in Himmel Park ; third Saturday; 10–11:30am; in-person Walk and Roll - Enjoy an outdoor activity with friendly people; third Tuesday; time will vary; in-person Date/Time: Wednesday, June 22 10–11am Location: 600 S. Country Club Rd. Tucson, AZ 85716 RSVPs are encouraged. Please contact Nicole Thomas 520.790.7573 x1739 or nthomas@pcoa.org
There are more events each month. Stay tuned in on the website.
Page 28 | June 2022, Never Too Late
Pima Council on Aging
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