Henry’s Story “Working at the ADAcafé, dad has become less agitated. He even makes curry puffs for the family at times.” Eric, Henry’s son. Henry is 75-years-old. Diagnosed with early stage Alzheimer’s Disease in 2016, Henry remains highly independent. A former church volunteer, taxi driver, and school janitor, Henry had not been engaged in gainful employment upon retiring two years ago. He stayed at home most of the time. Communication issues and friction within the family soon arose. However, his son, Eric observed a change in Henry, who has become more light-hearted and jovial, since he started attending the FOW (Toa Payoh) sessions and volunteering at the ADAcafé. While Henry attends the FOW sessions regularly to slow down the deterioration of his condition, Henry’s doctor suggested for him to work. He now goes to the ADAcafé @ Agape V where he helps serve, clean and chat with customers every Monday, Wednesday and Thursday. Mr Jason Foo, Chief Executive Officer of ADA, shared that the idea of the café, which embodies a ‘Food for a Cause’ concept, was derived from years of observing some clients, who, in their early stage of dementia, offered to help with simple food
preparation. He noticed that they were happily cutting vegetables and the activity seemed to bring back fond memories of their roles as wives and mothers. Mr Foo explained that the ability to continue working enables clients to feel validated and lead dignified lives. The concept café provides an opportunity for employment and serves as a form of therapy which gives a sense of security and purpose to clients. “Henry is the first person with dementia to be engaged under this pilot café project,” he said, “and we hope to have four or five more persons with early stage dementia to help out in the café”. Centre Manager for FOW (Toa Payoh), Ms Chong Ying Ying, said that having Henry help at the ADAcafé prevents his abilities from going to waste. With the growing number of people living with dementia in Singapore, ADA hopes to provide activities with meaning in a dementiaconducive environment where persons like Henry can continue to make meaningful contributions to society based on their interests and strengths.
ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE ASSOCIATION
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