Rustington Community Café & Friends: New community café in Rustington proves invaluable for people with dementia and their carers

Numbers are growing week by week and regulars have quickly become friends.

Rustington Community Café & Friends is for people who would like to socialise, including people living with dementia and their carers. It is organised by Mandie Kane, community liaison dementia nurse, with support from Sage House in Tangmere and Saxon Weald.

Mandie said it was launched at Abbotswood, in Station Road, Rustington, on September 7 on a three-month trial basis. Initially, the charge was £3.25 per person but Sage House has agreed to waive this due to the increased cost of living and rises in heating bills, so it is now by donation.

Saxon Weald provides the room, Waitrose in Rustington supplies drinks and Sage House takes cakes, as well as helping with activities. People gather for tea and coffee, cake and a chat from 10.30am to midday on Wednesdays. Most weeks, activities are organised, like a quiz, seated exercises and singing.

Mandie said: "This has been so needed in the community."

John has been going since the start and says the routine helps: "You have to think of them and the condition and how it is for them, keeping familiarity with the situation, and make it so they still want to come, and look forward to it."

Barbara has been going for a couple of weeks and enjoys the opportunity to people in a similar situation.

She said: "It is good to offload. People are at different stages. You can talk about what happens and see if the same has happened with other people. They are so welcoming here. I think it does the carers as much good as anyone."

Tanya is a private carer who takes two people to the café.

She said: "It was recommended to us and we really enjoy it. The interaction is brilliant. It is good to see it so busy. I love my job and finding something like this is incredible. It is so needed."

Tanya said she researched things to do each day and she filled the calendar but it was not always easy to find places where people with dementia were accepted as they are.

"Here, it is not even mentioned. When you come here, it is an environment that is magical," she added.

Tanya said she is a big advocate for dementia and a better understanding of how it affects people.

Abbotswood offers people the opportunity to stay on for lunch and join in with the home's afternoon activities at a cost of £8.