NAPLES, Fla. — People living with dementia are often isolated and simply seeking connection. Shula's Steakhouse and the Baker Senior Center are working together to bridge this gap.
Jaclynn Faffer is the President and CEO at the Baker Senior Center.
It's a facility in Naples where people who have dementia, socialize. It's something that helps their quality of life. The center is finding unique ways to make that happen in other spaces.
"We want the public to feel comfortable around the person who has dementia. It's about removing the stigma," she said.
These staffers are training to best understand how to serve people with dementia. For example, when approaching a table, the waiter is instructed to communicate mostly with the caretaker. They were also taught to approach from the front instead of the side of a table to avoid startling.
"It's very important to us to make sure that our clients and caregivers who handle dementia feel comfortable going out because isolation and loneliness has a big impact on everyone, but particularly people who have cognitive issues," Dr. Faffer said.
Now Shula's is considered a 'Dementia Friendly Dining' restaurant and the Baker Senior Center is working to add others to the list. This means families who choose to dine here, can expect the wait staff to know how to best serve individuals living with dementia.
"They were very interested in learning what to do and what not to do. I also saw a lot of compassion among the staff," she said.
