Morning brew with memories: Dementia-friendly cafe gets seniors engaged

A senior staff member makes coffee under the guidance of a social worker at the Unforgettable Cafe in Bailianchi Sub-District of Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province, Oct. 9, 2024. (Xinhua/Xue Chen)

CHENGDU, Oct. 13 (Xinhua) -- At the "Unforgettable Cafe," 84-year-old barista Dai Xiuyu, under the guidance of social worker Xiao Ling, hands a freshly made cup of coffee to a customer. Yet, in the blink of an eye, Dai has already forgotten the steps she just followed, despite having practiced them many times.

This unique cafe is nestled in an elderly care community of Chengdu's Bailianchi Sub-District, the very first dementia-friendly sub-district in southwest China's Sichuan Province. The cafe's staff is composed of young social workers and elderly individuals with cognitive impairments.

On a good day, the elderly workers can craft a dozen cups of coffee, but each time feels like the first for them. Therefore, they have to rely on the social workers to guide them through the process from start to finish.

In addition to honing their cognitive skills by making coffee, on pleasant days, the social workers often take the elderly out to sell coffee along the street. A cup of coffee only sells for 9.9 yuan (about 1.4 U.S. dollars).

"Though it's not profitable, this process helps the elderly reconnect with society and feel 'needed,'" said Su Youcheng, founder of the Ai'en elderly care nursing home and president of the Chengdu Life Care Association.

In 2022, during the early planning stages of the Ai'en elderly care nursing home, Su allocated a 10-square-meter corner space for the cafe. Though small, it's fully equipped to serve a variety of freshly brewed coffees, such as Americano and latte.

"It serves as a bridge, enabling intergenerational interaction between the elderly with dementia and young consumers. It helps the elderly maintain a positive mindset and even slow the progression of their disease," Su explained.

While making coffee, the elder citizens constantly receive encouragement and praise from the accompanying social workers. After receiving recognition from customers, they always become happy and feel a sense of self-worth. Each "silver-haired" barista enjoys such processes, and the non-pharmaceutical therapy has apparently helped improve their mood and reduce feelings of anxiety, irritability and restlessness, Su added.

"According to a study published by the Beijing-based Xuanwu Hospital affiliated to Capital Medical University in the Lancet, there are about 38.77 million people aged 60 and above in China with mild cognitive impairment, including 9.83 million Alzheimer's patients," Su said, adding that the prevalence of cognitive disorders is relatively higher in western regions of China.

Despite the varying symptoms, all patients with cognitive impairment share similar needs -- both physical and emotional -- such as respect, love and the realization of self-worth, according to Su.

Dai Xiuyu (4th, R) poses for a group photo with a fellow senior staff member, social workers and customers at the Unforgettable Cafe in Bailianchi Sub-District of Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province, June 17, 2024. (Xinhua)

Dai, who suffers from severe cognitive impairment, used to frequently get lost and demanded daily trips to the bank to withdraw money. If her family refused, she would become angry, sometimes even violent.

After being admitted to the nursing home, social workers observed that Dai loved receiving praise and affirmation from those around her. Even when she was upset, a compliment about her appearance or intelligence would instantly lift her spirits.

Another resident in the community surnamed Gao, aged 76, was once skilled in mathematics. As he aged, his colleagues and family noticed that he began making errors in his calculations and had difficulty understanding concepts. After being diagnosed with dementia, Gao was then assigned to help sell coffee at the Unforgettable Cafe. Each cup he sells can bring him joy for hours, said Su.

"The coffee shop is both an internal non-pharmaceutical intervention tool and a platform for raising public awareness about dementia," Su said. "Our goal is to ensure that these elderly people can live like normal individuals, with dignity and quality of life."

Thanks to the elderly care services provided by Bailianchi Sub-District, all five local communities are now equipped with systems for early prevention, timely intervention and professional care for dementia patients and other elderly who have lost their ability to take care of themselves.

In 2023, Chengdu Civil Affairs Bureau began developing dementia-friendly communities as part of its public service project. The initiative aims to educate more elderly individuals about dementia prevention while providing non-pharmaceutical intervention training and family support activities for those already affected.

Currently, there are 56 such dementia-friendly communities across Chengdu, the provincial capital. Ai'en elderly care nursing home, which serves over 30 elderly dementia patients with an average age of 70, has made Unforgettable Cafe a key part of the initiative.

In this cozy cafe, though the elder baristas might take their time crafting a cup of coffee, occasionally misstating prices or overlooking the sequence of steps, there's no impatience from others. The simple yet profound act of preparing coffee, coupled with the joy and sense of achievement it brings, helps them come to terms with their condition, transforming their daily ritual into a tool against forgetfulness.