Dementia
Memory cafes offer camaraderie and fun for people with dementia — and their caregivers
'Memory cafes' are small social gatherings for individuals with dementia — and their caregivers, too. As public health funding shrinks, memory cafes are cheap to run and can offer measurable benefits.
Healing Gardens
Many in the healthcare industry are touting the therapeutic value of healing gardens. The American Horticulture Therapy Association says that these specialized gardens are becoming increasingly common around the U.S. Among their benefits: stimulating memory and alleviating depression. Those are pluses that are especially helpful for a group of senior adults living at the Princeton Towers in Birmingham's Arlington-West End neighborhood. Gigi Douban has the story.
Home Mental Health Care
Each year millions of family members find themselves caring for the physical needs of a loved one at home. Often times, it can be frustrating, time consuming and confusing. However, if that family member also suffers from a mental illness, those feeling are magnified, and you can add frightening, bewildering and hopeless. Historically, the primary caregiver feels alone, with no one to talk to, no place to turn. But as Les Lovoy reports, there is hope for both the patients, and the primary care givers.
