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 Generally a carefree pastime, enjoying the aroma of coffee over café style food with a loved one can be a daunting task when that person suffers from dementia. Natalie Sfeir, 2016 Beck Fellowship recipient, has researched an innovative solution to the difficult outings for those with dementia and their family. It’s called a Memory Café.

"I want to be an advocate for those who can't work to do things on their own," the speech and hearing science major said. "The café is something that you can't find in this area, so this would really stand out, and I believe that it will really help
the community."

The idea for the Memory Café came into fruition when Sfeir received the David J. Beck Fellowship in November of 2016, and she has been working on it ever since, traveling across the world from Dublin and Donegal, Ireland, to Liverpool and London, England, along with visiting Roseville, Minn., for research purposes.

"[The cafés] originated in the Netherlands, then the idea spread throughout Europe, including Ireland and England, before being replicated in the United States," Sfeir said. "A lot of what I got to see was hands on and experience based."

"I went to a few memory cafés in each place. They have adult day centers, where people with dementia will go to spend the day and do different things that will help develop the brain," she said.

While there, she also worked with the Alzheimer Society of Ireland, trained at the House of Memories in Liverpool.

"The House of Memories trains you how to communicate with people that have dementia, and they did a lot of theatre to portray the life of a person who goes through this daily," Sfeir said. "I also learned about new dementia-related technology and initiatives that helped by my research progress."

During her time in Roseville, she said things were a little different from her experiences in Europe.

"It was a small town, so I got to meet with the city manager and see what they are doing to set the city apart and how they have their own team that specializes in dementia care," Sfeir said.

As she brings her research to Southeast Texas, she has high hopes for the café.

"I really hope that it will be sustainable for the community in the sense that this isn't just a research project, but that it will bring a sense of camaraderie so that people have a safe place to go in the area," Sfeir said. "We aren't a huge city, but we aren't a small town either, so to have something like this could really be life-changing."

The café is meant to be a judgment-free zone for all customers who enter. Aside from just a place to grab a cup of coffee and a cookie, Sfeir says the café also will have guest speakers to talk about things such as
memory care.

"When you walk through the doors, the people helping you will be trained on how to communicate with people who suffer from dementia," she said.

Sfeir says they welcome all of those with dementia along with their loved ones.

"At this point, they (family) aren't worried about them forgetting what something is called, and getting weird looks or feel like they need to worry about something medical because the employees have the necessary background on this topic," she said.

Before the official café opening, ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ University offered rooms in the speech and hearing building where two informal sessions were held. The previous sessions had light refreshments and guest speakers, and attendees were able to create a
memory book.

"A memory book is where we try to augment memories, so these books tell the story of your life, starting from when you were little, then talking about your kids and your family, and it's used to help reminisce," she said.

To promote the café’s availability, Sfeir said she has created Facebook social events, been published in the Beaumont Enterprise, pinned bulletins and used a mailing list and word of mouth. The goal for the café is to have it open twice a month as a fun outing that is a little bit different to do, she said.

"I noticed in my research that people would sit and wonder where to bring their loved ones with dementia," Sfeir said. "(The café) is meant to be informative, and my hope is that this will create a sense of family, and community, for all of those who come."