I remember when my Nana was first diagnosed with dementia and things changed for our family. My grandfather became an instant caregiver with the support of my mother and her siblings. Papa had no prior experience caring for a partner with memory loss, and it was a challenging time. My family came together to be there for them both, and through this personal experience, I made it my mission to support memory care through the arts.
According to the Alzheimer’s Association, there are currently 6.9 million Americans living with Alzheimer’s disease and related memory loss. The organization predicts the number of individuals impacted will rise to 13 million by 2050. Given the urgency of this matter, I believe it is vital that communities work together to develop programs to support individuals with memory loss and caregivers.
I first learned about SSC Memory Café when I started working at South Shore Conservatory (SSC) in 2017 as a dance/movement therapist. A memory café is a social gathering designed to support individuals with memory loss and their loved ones. SSC Memory Café provides an arts-based program led by experienced Creative Arts Therapists. Music therapy, dance/movement therapy, yoga, art, and trivia are incorporated into sessions with a range of fun themes. To increase accessibility, SSC offers biweekly in-person Memory Cafés at our Duxbury campus in addition to a biweekly Zoom Café! SSC Memory Cafés are free and welcome to all thanks to generous funding fromThe Harry C. and Mary Elizabeth Grafton Memorial Fund, Bank of America, N.A., Co-Trustee.
SSC Memory Café promotes both community and support. At SSC, we recently started an exciting partnership with the Hull Council on Aging. I provide dance/movement therapy, working with SSC board-certified music therapist Joanna Kennedy for their new “In the Moment”Café. This free program is generously supported by a grant from South Shore Elder Services and MA Executive Office of Elder Affairs.
Thanks to the hard work of Lisa Thornton, Director of the Hull Council on Aging, and Allison Cochran, Outreach Coordinator, the first “In the Moment” Café was a true success! Joanna and I incorporated Irish music and dancing to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. Many participants had Irish heritage and knew the words to every song! Allison observed the impact of the arts on the program stating, “It was wonderful to look around the room and see how the music and movement transformed the group.” Both Lisa and Allison were pleased with our first session and look forward to future cafés! “In the Moment” Cafés meet on the second Tuesday of each month at 1 pm at the Hull Council on Aging. For more information, visit https://www.town.hull.ma.us/council-aging or email k.mazzilli@sscmusic.org.
Learn more about SSC Memory Café at https://sscmusic.org/memorycafe/ or find South Shore Conservatory on Facebook, Instagram, or YouTube.
Kaitlyn Mazzilli is a Board-Certified Dance/Movement Therapist and Licensed Mental Health Counselor. In addition to providing dance/movement therapy, she also teaches hip hop dance and SSC’s ImagineARTS Pre-K program.
SSC Arts Musings 