Penticton's Lakeside Resort will host a Memory Cafe event as part of an effort to make more dementia-friendly communities. 

The event is open to the public and free to attend on Jan. 29, and it will run from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. 

The memory cafe in Penticton is the latest to take place in the South Okanagan and Similkameen. Similar cafes were hosted in Cawston and Keremeos in 2023 and in Naramata and Princeton in 2024. 

Part-time Naramata resident Dr. Howard Feldman inspired the local cafes after he challenged Canadians to make their communities more compassionate, caring, and fully-supportive for people living with dementia or caring for those with dementia.

Memory cafes were originally created in the Netherlands in the 1990s as a way of breaking down the stigma that many with dementia face. They have since spread, and are often included in efforts to make more dementia-friendly communities. The goal is to have individuals with dementia able to live well in communities that offer understanding and support for them and their caregivers.

The keynote speaker on Jan. 29 will be Christine Aiken, who will share her experiences of living with dementia. 

Aiken, who previously served on the board of Dementia Alliance International, was tested for dementia when she was 55 and later diagnosed. 

Since that time, she has been speaking about ways to cope with dementia, as well as how businesses and organizations can provide support for those living with dementia.

In addition to Aiken香蕉视频直播檚 presentation, the day will also include music and workshops on living well with dementia.

The Memory Cafe is organized through Medical Arts Health Research. It is a Participatory Action Research pilot project being conducted through the Regional District Okanagan Similkameen, and in collaboration with the University of B.C. Okanagan香蕉视频直播檚 Rural Health Equity.

The Community Foundation of the South Okanagan Similkameen has also helped provided funding for the project.