CONNECTIONSA MEMO RY CAFE RES O URCE GUI D EJOYFULTHE HUMMINGBIRD MEMORY CAFE PRESENTS
CONNECTIONSA MEMO RY CAFE RES O URCE GUI D EJOYFULTHE HUMMINGBIRD MEMORY CAFE PRESENTS
Other publications by the Hummingbird Memory Cafe FamilyBook of JoyBrenda and Billy's Beautiful Balloon RideCafe Creativity CollectionA series of creative guides and inspirationChildren’s Reading ListBooks About DementiaCollective CreativityFinding joy in creating as a care team, family and communityFrancine’s FunLiving Well and Finding the Magic in Everyday EngagementIridescenceResources to Support Us in Living Well with DementiaMikey Franklin's FriendshipPoetic Pauses SeriesSocial and Creative ConnectionsSpringer ‘SpirationsReflections on Life’s Universal ThemesThe Hummingbird HeraldCafe magazine exploring how to live better withdementia and find joy in our JOurneYsYanceyismsReflections on Life’s Universal Themes
CONNECTIONSA MEMO RY CAFE RES O URCE GUI D EJOYFULTHE HUMMINGBIRD MEMORY CAFE PRESENTS
Joyful Connections: A Memory Café Resource Guide reflectsshared learning, lived experience, and community gleaned frompeople LIVING with dementia, carers, memory cafe facilitators,organizations, and people connected to dementiafriendly/inclusive communities. The resources included highlightthe value of social and creative connection for people LIVINGwith dementia and their carers.This guide is intended as a starting point for individuals andorganizations interested in learning about memory cafés,understanding their impact, and exploring ways to createwelcoming, inclusive spaces in their own communities.Joyful Connections is not intended to replace medical, legal, orprofessional advice. The creators disclaim any liability arisingfrom the use or adaptation of the information included. Readersare encouraged to consult appropriate professionals and localresources when making decisions related to care, programming,or community development.Published 2026 by Hummingbird Memory CaféWhile no legal restrictions are placed on the use of this guide, werespectfully ask that you credit the Hummingbird Memory Caféwhen sharing or adapting content. Please adapt materialsthoughtfully, with attention to accessibility, cultural context, andthe interests and abilities of those you serve. For questions aboutcontent or attribution, please contact the Hummingbird MemoryCafé.Curation, editing, and design by Nicolette McDermott-Ketchum.Images accessed from Canva.com except where otherwisecredited. This guide was refined with the assistance of ChatGPT, alanguage model developed by OpenAI, to support clarity, tone,and accessibility.Connection | Creativity | Community | Dementia | Belonging
This guide is dedicated to people LIVING withdementia, their carers, and the facilitators,artists, volunteers, and community memberswho believe that connection, creativity, andbelonging matter at every stage of life.
Just seeing the growth of new friends andhearing their voices in song brings joy.--Hummingbird Memory Cafe Family Member
ContentsJ O Y F U L C O N N E C T I O N Si |Memory Cafes: Where Presence, Creativity and Belonging Meet1|The Hummingbird Memory Cafe Story4|Introduction to Joyful Connections4|What is a Memory Café?5|Why Memory Cafés Matter6|Using This Guide7|Next Steps9|Resources10|Memory Café – How-To & Start-Up Resources11|Evidence & Impact: Value of Memory Cafés & Social Connection13|Related Dementia-Inclusive & Social Connection Resources
This resource guide was shaped by communityexperience, listening, and learning alongside peopleLIVING with dementia and their carers. I have alsolearned from mentors whose leadership continues toreimagine what is possible by modeling inclusion,creativity, and hope for people LIVING with dementiaand those who care alongside them.Memory cafés, as I have come to know them, are notabout doing things “right” or following a formula.They are about creating space—space forconversation, creativity, laughter, quiet moments,and connection. They are places where people cansimply be present with one another, without pressureor expectation.Over time, a few lessons have gently surfaced:Connection matters more than perfection. Awelcoming atmosphere, a shared table, or a momentof recognition often carries more meaning than acarefully planned activity.Creativity invites participation. Art, music,movement, storytelling, and play offer ways toengage that do not rely on memory or words alone.Creative moments can help people feel seen,capable, and included.Everyone brings something valuable. People LIVINGwith dementia, carers, facilitators, and volunteerseach shape the café experience. When gatherings areflexible and responsive, they reflect the strengths ofthose who show up.Hummingbird Memory Cafe | iMemory Cafes: Where Presence, Creativity & Belonging Meet
This guide is shared as a starting place. There is no singleway to create a memory café, and no two will look thesame. Each community brings its own culture, creativity,and possibilities. The resources gathered here are meantto inform, inspire, and support your own approach.Whether you are exploring the idea of a memory café forthe first time or nurturing an existing gathering, I hopethis guide encourages you to move forward in a way thatfeels welcoming, thoughtful, and sustainable.At its heart, a memory cafe is simply this: a social andcreative connection for people LIVING with dementiaand their carers.Nicolette McDermott-Ketchum, PA-C, BS EdFacilitator, Hummingbird Memory CafeCertified Dementia VolunteerCertified Montessori Dementia Care Professionalii | Joyful Connections
CONNECTIONSA MEMO RY CAFE RES O URCE GUI D EJOYFULTHE HUMMINGBIRD MEMORY CAFE PRESENTS
Memory cafes originated in the Netherlands in the 1990s.The first memory cafe in the United States was established inSanta Fe, New Mexico, in 2008. Today, there are thousandsof memory cafes worldwide, providing a valuable space forconnection and creativity.Planning for the Hummingbird Memory Cafe in Farmington,New Mexico, began in 2019. It started with gatherings ofcommunity members who had either a personal and/orprofessional connection to dementia. They recognized theimmense value that memory cafes could bring by fosteringsocial and creative connections for people LIVING withdementia and their carers. Dr. Jytte Lokvig, the founder ofmemory cafes in the United States, provided valuabletraining. She offered insights into improving communicationwith people LIVING with dementia and shared ideas for cocreativity within the cafe setting.The Hummingbird Memory Cafe adapted to COVID-19restrictions by transitioning from in-person gatherings to anonline platform. This shift allowed us the incredibleopportunity to virtually connect with others across the countryand around the world who are reimagining dementia andcelebrating joy in their JOurneYs. Today, the cafe serves asa repository of resources to support the experience ofLIVING with dementia—whether as a person who has beendiagnosed, a carer, or a supportive community member.The Hummingbird Memory Cafe StoryHummingbird Memory Cafe | 1
The cafe operates with a voluntary leadership model,ensuring that its mission, values, and vision remainuncompromised. We are deeply grateful to the individualsand organizations that have provided spaces for training andgatherings, contributed in-kind donations, and volunteeredtheir time and energy. We are especially thankful to thededicated volunteers who stayed engaged through our virtualformat and continue to keep in touch via social media andemail.Every individual who has been, and continues to be, part ofthe cafe brings something truly special to our community—your ideas, your humor, your stories, and so much more. Toeveryone who has contributed to this incredible JOurneY,thank you. We are so fortunate to have one another,especially during a time when the world around us ischanging in profound ways.photo:Nicolette McDermott-Ketchumelements of a cafe gatheringthe arts, laughter and social connection2 | Joyful Connections
Introduction to Joyful ConnectionsWelcome to Joyful Connections, a curated collection oftools, research, and reference materials designed tosupport people LIVING with dementia, carers, andcommunity members and organizations interested instarting or learning more about memory cafés. Thisguide is intended as a starting point — a roadmap forthose exploring how social and creative connection canenhance the lives of people living with dementia andtheir carers.What is a Memory Café?A memory café is a community-based, stigma-free socialgathering where people LIVING with dementia, alongwith their family members, friends, and carers, cancome together in a welcoming environment. Unlikeclinical settings, memory cafés focus on socialengagement, creativity, and shared experiences, oftenincorporating music, art, storytelling, and conversation.The goal is not treatment or assessment but ratherconnection, inclusion, and joy.4 | Joyful Connections
Why Memory Cafés MatterMemory cafés provide a space where participants can:Build social connections and reduce isolationEngage in meaningful activities that foster creativityand shared experienceFind peer support and a change of pace for carersCelebrate identity, abilities, and community withoutstigmaResearch shows that memory cafes can improveemotional well-being, reduce stress, and foster a senseof belonging for both people LIVING with dementia andtheir carers. They also provide a practical framework forcommunity engagement and public health support,helping communities become more dementiafriendly/inclusive.Hummingbird Memory Cafe | 5
Using This GuideThis guide includes toolkits, research, and resources forexploring, planning, or starting a memory café. It is afoundation to:Review the purpose and benefits of memory cafésApply practical steps to start, sustain, or strengthena memory caféConnect with research, tools, and organizations thatsupport social and creative engagement for peopleLIVING with dementia and their carersEvery café is unique, shaped by its community andparticipants. Whether you are a carer, a volunteer, aprofessional, or a community leader, this guide isintended to inform, inspire, and support your efforts tocreate welcoming spaces where people LIVING withdementia and their carers can thrive.6 | Joyful Connections
Next StepsWe encourage you to explore the resources, reach outto existing memory cafés, and adapt ideas to yourlocal context. Every café is unique, shaped by itscommunity, participants, and creative vision. Use thisguide as a starting point for building meaningfulconnections, nurturing inclusion, and celebrating thelives and contributions of people LIVING withdementia and their carers.Hummingbird Memory Cafe | 7
RESOURCES
Memory Café – How-To & Start-Up ResourcesThe Alzheimer’s and Memory Café: How to Start and Succeedwith Your Own Café by Jytte LokvigDementia Friendly America – Memory Café Resourceshttps://dfamerica.org/memorycafe-resources/Dementia Friendly Pennsylvania – Memory Café Guidehttps://www.dementiafriendlypa.org/resources/memory-cafeguideA Guide to Setting Up a Memory Café(PDF – Dementia Partnerships)https://www.dementiapartnerships.org/wpcontent/uploads/guide-to-setting-up-a-memory-cafe.pdfJoin / Register a Memory Café (Memory Café Alliance)https://dfamerica.org/create-mca-profile/Library Memory Project – Facilitator Guide (PDF)https://www.librarymemoryproject.org/wpcontent/uploads/2024/02/2024-LMP-Facilitator-Guide.pdfMCA Toolkit – Dementia Friendly Americahttps://dfamerica.org/mca-toolkit/Memory Cafés and Dementia-Friendly Libraries: ManagementConsiderations for Developing Inclusive Library Programs:Journal of Library Administration, Vol 60, No 3https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/01930826.2020.1727282Memory-Cafe-Environmental-Scan_Final.pdfhttps://hfwcny.org/wp-content/uploads/Memory-CafeEnvironmental-Scan_Final.pdfPublic Health Center of Excellence on Dementia Caregivinghttps://bolddementiacaregiving.org/10 | Joyful Connections
Evidence & Impact: Value of Memory Cafés & SocialConnectionBuddhist temples as driving force of dementia-friendlysociety: a qualitative analysis of community-basedintegrated care in Buddhist temple caregiver caféshttps://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40012005/Carers’ Experiences of Dementia Cafés (BMC Geriatrics)https://bmcgeriatr.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12877-017-0559-4Effects of the Participation and Involvement of MedicalProfessionals in Dementia Cafés on the Attendance ofPeople with Dementia Living at Home and Their FamilyCaregivers (Takechi, Yoshino, Kawakita, 2022)https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.3233/JAD215472Family carers' perspectives of the Alzheimer Café inIrelandhttps://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32518892/How patients with mild dementia living in a nursinghome benefit from dementia cafés: a case‐control study(Psychogeriatrics, Wiley Online Library, 2021)https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/psyg.12721Hummingbird Memory Cafe | 11
Timely Psychosocial Interventions in Dementia Care:Evidence-Based Practice – Google Bookshttps://books.google.com/books/about/Timely_Psychosocial_Interventions_in_Dem.html?id=nvhCxQEACAAJ\"We Don't Feel So Alone\": A Qualitative Study of VirtualMemory Cafés to Support Social Connectedness AmongIndividuals Living with Dementia and Care Partners DuringCOVID-19https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34055724/Psychosocial Benefits of Memory Cafés (PubMed)https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35023232/A qualitative study of carers' experiences of dementiacafés: a place to feel supported and be yourselfhttps://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28743253/Reflections of Buddhist priests who started a dementiacarers’ café in Japan (Okamura et al., 2022)https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/14713012221092212Perspectives of people living with dementia and their carepartners about the impact on social health whenparticipating in a co‐designed Dementia café (Innes, Health& Social Care in the Community, 2022, Wiley Online Library)https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/hsc.13545A Pilot Study of the Acceptability of a Dance Café forPeople with Severe Dementia | Journal of Long-Term Carehttps://journal.ilpnetwork.org/articles/10.31389/jltc.6712 | Joyful Connections
Related Dementia-Inclusive & Social ConnectionResourcesAlzheimer’s Associationhttps://www.alz.org/Alzheimer’s Foundation of Americahttps://alzfdn.org/Berger, Sue and Coyle, Caitlin,\"Aging in Middleton: ACommunity Needs Assessment\" (2022). Center for Socialand Demographic Research on Aging Publications. 82.https://scholarworks.umb.edu/demographyofaging/82Dementia Action Alliance – Words Matter (LanguageGuide)https://daanow.org/initiatives/words-matter/Hummingbird Memory Cafe | 13Perception of people living with dementia andentrepreneurs on dementia-friendly leisure activities insociety.pdfhttps://www.scirea.org/journal/PaperInformation?PaperID=3667
Friends are everything to me. They brightenand improve our day. It is so important tohave the right people around us.--Hummingbird Memory Cafe Family Member
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