Doug Chandler was at the very first Melville Memory Café in September 2016 and a decade later he’s still attending. He’s a volunteer with his partner Gail Aris helping people with dementia and their carers enjoy a well-needed social outing.
The café is jointly supported by City of Melville and Westfield Booragoon and runs on the last Tuesday of every month from 10.00am at the seating outside Coles.
Both Doug and Gail have personal experience of dementia; Doug caring for his mother and now his sister and Gail caring for her stepmother.
Research shows that dementia can be acutely isolating socially, not just for those diagnosed with the condition but also for their carers and family.
Dementia Australia reports more than half of carers said they felt isolated, often because of family and friends not understanding how important their support could be.
In addition, research shows that four in 10 people living with dementia report that following their diagnosis, people didn’t keep in touch as they once had.
Dementia Australia CEO Professor Buchanan says people affected by dementia often tell us that friends and family drift away after a diagnosis, because they are unsure of how to interact.
Providing kindness and understanding, over a warm cup of coffee is a big part of the work that Gail and Doug do as volunteers and you can see their excitement when new people come to the café for the first time and then when they keep coming back.
“It’s about giving them a sense of belonging and friendship,” Doug explains.
“I enjoy coming down and talking to people. I’ve made some good friendships which sometimes have flowed over to other parts of our lives.
“We look forward to seeing people – it’s good when new people come and to hear them talking to other people having the same experiences.”
Gail says she can often also point people in the right direction for information like accessing support services.
Both say they’d recommend volunteering to anyone considering it. Doug says City of Melville volunteer groups are ‘top-notch’ and very well supported by its Volunteer Melville! Team.
To view the dates for upcoming Memory Café events, please click here.