Memory Café at Reg Lenna Center for The Arts is a FREE respite and arts program for people with forgetfulness or other changes in their thinking (including cognitive decline, dementia or Alzheimer’s) as well as their care partner, family, or friends.
Participants are welcome to enjoy music performances, crafts and easy, appropriate activities to spark friendly social interaction. Light refreshments will be provided. All attendees can choose to participate or simply observe.
This month’s performer is Bill Ward.
Singer/Songwriter/Promoter Bill Ward has been a mainstay of the Western New York music scene for some time, headlining shows and appearing with some of the best bluegrass, country and Americana acts in the business. Fresh from a busy season which included his appearance at the Great Blue Heron Music Festival with the Buffalo Bluegrass All Stars, Bill Ward brings energy and eclecticism to every show and recording session.
Memory Cafés will be held on the second Tuesday of each month at 12 p.m. in the 3rd floor Media Arts Studio at Reg Lenna Center for The Arts. Enter the building through the Reg Lenna awning entrance (108 E. 3rd St.) next to Art Cloth+Craft. Elevator accessible.
We ask that you register for the Reg Lenna Memory Café ahead of time by emailing rsvp@reglenna.com or calling The Reg Box Office at (716) 484-7070 with the names and number of attendees. A suggested (but not required) donation of your choosing would support the Reg Lenna Memory Café, payable by cash, check, etc.
Memory Cafés are accepting and welcoming environments to engage people living with any stage of dementia (diagnosed or not) in enjoyable, non-clinical interventions designed to enhance the quality of life for them and their care partners. It is a gathering place offering social support and connection, socialization opportunities, better health, and wellbeing to older adult participants and their care partners in an accessible environment. Occurring in a wide range of settings with a wide range of programming, memory cafés provide essential support to caregivers and their loved ones. Cafés help build social connections and friendships and bring joy, meaning, purpose and belonging to participants.
Cafés focus on engagement in activities to improve memory and brain health, keeping older adult attendees mentally and socially active while at the same time providing a positive, supportive, bonding, and rejuvenating experience for caregivers of all ages. Memory cafés also provide caregivers with information, resources, referrals, and a network of support. Memory cafés are expanding across the United States, mirroring the dramatic increase in Americans who have or are expected to have Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias in the coming years.
The Memory Café program at The Reg is made possible by Exhale and its funders: Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation and Health Foundation for Western and Central New York.