Cafe caters dances, chats for Alzheimer's patients

SEATTLE -- For any of the more than five million Americans living with Alzheimer's, the simplest of everyday tasks can  be difficult.

One local coffee shop, the Ampersand Pastry and Cafe, tries to ease the burden on those suffering with the disease.

At first glancethe cafe, nicknamed the Alzheimer's Cafe, looks like nothing outside of a typical Seattle coffee joint. But, in the program started by the Greenwood Senior Center, the Alzheimer's Cafe hopes to create memories for those who have trouble remembering.

"The cafe gives people through the disease a place to be," said Carin Mack of the Greenwood Center. "It's where they will always be welcome, where people will accept them."



The program aims at easing the pain for the 1-in-8 older Americans that struggle with the disease. It features dance, song and discussion groups for people suffering with Alzheimer's. Marie Trainer's husband lost his battle with Alzheimer's last year. But she's still a regular of the group, enjoying the singing, the talking and camaraderie the group brings.

"Coming here there were no expectations," Trainer said. "He really enjoyed it."