Dementia Cafés as a Community Resource for Persons With Early-Stage Cognitive Disorders: A Nationwide Survey in Japan

Abstract

Objectives: Dementia cafés are expected to serve as a new community resource based on the national dementia strategy in Japan. The objective of the present study was to examine effective ways to manage dementia cafés through an overview of dementia cafés in Japan and an analysis of the factors related to their effectiveness on attendees.

Design: Cross-sectional analysis.

Setting and participants: Representatives of 1477 dementia cafés in Japan.

Measures: Questionnaires regarding the dementia cafés' characteristics, management members, staff, their guests and effectiveness on people with dementia, their families, and community members were sent to the cafés, with instructions to have them completed by the café representatives. Logistic regression analysis was performed with the effect on each guest attribute as a dependent variable, and factors related to the effectiveness of dementia cafés were analyzed.

Results: Questionnaires were sent to a total of 2728 dementia cafés in Japan, and responses were received from 1477 (54.1%). The most common meeting frequency and meeting hours were once a month (64.8%) and 2 hours (53.8%), respectively. Analysis of the effectiveness of dementia cafés on 3 groups of guests indicated the following preferences for café program: people with dementia preferred frequent meetings and activities, families of people with dementia preferred having a place for private consultation and advice and peer meetings, and community members preferred frequent meetings and both mini-lectures and private consultation and advice. Logistic regression analysis further revealed that all types of guests preferred the presence of the same types of guests.

Conclusions/implications: This study revealed the multicomponent nature of dementia cafés. The results suggest that a good balance of programs and guests would enhance the cafés' effectiveness among the multiple stakeholders in regard to dementia, especially in the early stage of the disease.

Keywords: Alzheimer café; Dementia café; caregiver; post-diagnostic support; stigma.