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'Memory cafes' in English, Spanish offer socializing for people with memory loss in Elgin

Within 15 minutes of meeting at the first Spanish-language "memory cafe" in Elgin, Carmen Lucio and Nena Vallejo were trading recipes for "mole," the traditional sauce used in Mexican cuisine.

"I put peanut butter in mine," Lucio said. "Yes! Peanut butter and also Mexican hot chocolate," Vallejo said.

The women, both from Elgin, were among about 20 people who attended the event Monday at Dream Hall in downtown Elgin. Memory cafes, held all over the suburbs and nationally, are social gatherings for people who suffer from memory loss - stemming from Alzheimer's, dementia or other brain disorders - as well as their caregivers.

The Elgin event was organized by Gail Borden Public Library, which launched memory cafes in English in August. Lucio's daughter, Amanda Gutierrez, said she was glad to see her mother socialize. "I think the concept is good. It gets them out and gets them talkative."

The cafes are a way for people to meet others who share their experiences in a fun, stress-free environment, said Glenna Godinsky, life enrichment liaison for the library. "Icebreakers" encourages participants to talk to each other, and there are activities like arts and crafts, dancing or music. Monday's event included a free mole tasting.

"There is no set agenda but we always have a discussion topic. Tonight was mole," she said. "We take a poll about which one was the favorite (the mole poblano made by Cafe Revive) and we have a page of facts about mole. We always have facts, because it literally gets everyone on the same page."

Monday's event included a presentation by staff members from Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center, who said Latinos are 1.5 times more likely to develop Alzheimer's than non-Latinos. That's due to a variety of factors, such as having a longer life expectancy and higher incidences of diseases like diabetes, said Yadira Montoya, senior community engagement coordinator.

"(Memory cafes) are awesome," she said. "They are very much needed, particularly with Latinos, because they are less likely to get diagnosed, so people live with the symptoms for a long time."

Gail Borden library partners with the nonprofit Senior Services Associates and the senior living facility The Sheridan at Tyler Creek, which provide staff members to help moderate the memory cafes, Godinsky said. Another senior living facility, Heritage Woods of South Elgin, provides materials for things like arts and crafts, she said.

Many who showed up Monday said they didn't have any special connection to the mission of the cafe but were enticed by the free mole and a chance to connect with fellow Spanish speakers.

Eva Alvarado of Elgin said she plans to pass on what she learned to a friend who is caring for her elderly parents. She also will give her friend the adult coloring books and crossword puzzles she won Monday during a game of "loteria," which is similar to bingo, she said.

"This is really cool, because it's supporting the community. I did get a chance to talk to the folks around me, and they were very nice," she said. "Having the folks at Rush come and add that touch of the education and the health (components), I thought it was a nice mix."

The English memory cafes are held from 4 to 5:30 p.m. the second Tuesday of the month at IHOP, 101 S. Randall Road, Elgin. Staff members there have watched a video about dementia at dementiafriendsusa.org, Godinsky said. "They have been great," she said.

To find out about the next memory cafe in Spanish, email biblioteca@gailborden.info.

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