Clare Plumley, Switchboards new Rainbow Cafe Development Worker gives an update at what has been happening at the Rainbow Cafe in the last 6 months.
THE Rainbow Café is an exciting initiative from Switchboard for LGBT+ people living with dementia or memory loss and their friends, families and carers.
THE aim of the project is to raise awareness of dementia within the LGBT+ communities and hope that both LGBT and non-LGBT services will have a better understanding of the specific and unique needs of LGBT+ people living with dementia. We are indebted to the Rainbow Fund for supporting the work we are now doing on this.
The Rainbow Café was launched with an opening event in February at Brooke Mead (the new extra care housing accommodation opened by Brighton and Hove City Council) in Albion Street, Brighton. As part of this launch, the awarding winning play The Purple List: A Gay Dementia Venture, was performed by Ian Baxter. This was a 35 minute one man performance exploring the highs and lows of the lives of the same-sex couple, Sam and Derek who live with the reality of dementia. The performance was followed by a Q&A session, a chance to hear about the Rainbow Café and a buffet lunch generously provided by Lunch Positive (www.lunchpositive.org/) a lunch club for those affected by HIV. I thought I’d update you on where we are 6 months down then line.
Since the launch the Rainbow Café has met monthly and has so far included a mixture of practical activities, conversation and information such as drama improvisation, a Q&A session about dementia with an occupational therapist and an illustrated talk about the film Carol.
Participants have been a mixture of people living with dementia and their carers and also those interested to learn more about the condition and about memory loss. As a result of this we’ve decided to offer two strands to the Rainbow Cafe, one with a mixture of activities for people with dementia and their carers and one which is for people concerned about memory loss to come and ask questions to professionals in the health and social care field.
None of us want to think too much about ageing or what happens to us later on as we need extra care but the Rainbow Cafe hopes to address some of these fears. In addition to providing a drop-in space for people with dementia to attend it also is setting up information sessions to answer some of the questions people might have regarding what happens as we get older and encounter memory loss and who might provide support for us.
There will be a session for people with concerns over memory loss and dementia which will cover the following areas: What is the difference between cognitive decline due to ageing and dementia, when should people take their concerns or worries further? If they think that they or a loved one may have dementia what do they do, what is the process for diagnosis?
Some LGBT+ people are estranged from their families or might not want them involved in their healthcare, they may well be single and have a ‘family of choice’ instead. So the second information session is to address concerns faced by people who might not have a partner or family member available to them to support them through later care. How in a situation where there is no ‘next of kin’ can a friend be recognised as the person’s carer, point of contact, how might a friend get Power of Attorney, how does a person with dementia ensure their care needs are directed by a trusted friend?
It’s really important that the specific needs of our communities are recognised so I hope that these discussions will inform both us and the communities in current and future conversations with health and social care providers and commissioners.
Please email: rainbow.cafe@switchboard.org.uk if you would like more details about the Information Sessions.
If you or a loved one have a diagnosis of dementia or are waiting for one and would like to go along to the monthly Rainbow Cafe please call me on 07395 425710 so I can take some details from you, get to know a little more about you and talk with you about what we are doing in the sessions.
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