Greenwood launches Friend’s Circle for memory challenged

GREENWOOD HOUSE, the nonprofit senior health care facility in Ewing, will launch the Friend’s Circle memory café next month at Adath Israel Congregation in Lawrenceville. The free social gathering for those with memory challenges and their care partners will be held 1-3 p.m. the second Tuesday of each month, beginning July 9.

The program’s activities, designed to stimulate connections via music, art, conversation, and education, will be facilitated by creative artists, as it has been shown that most conditions causing dementia are affected last and least by the creative aspects of cognitive functioning.

Participants with all levels of memory concerns are welcome along with their care partners — a spouse, adult child, friend, or professional caregiver. Resources will be available to participants, but there will be no open discussion of illness or memory loss.

Friend’s Circle, said Greenwood House executive director Richard Goldstein, continues “a tradition of care, comfort, and support in an atmosphere of compassion and dignity — while providing opportunities for social, emotional, and spiritual engagement.”

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Cosponsored by Jewish Family & Children’s Service of Greater Mercer County, Friend’s Circle is funded through sponsorships, donations, and a grant from the Lawrence Township Community Foundation. It is endorsed by the Alzheimer’s Association, Alzheimer’s New Jersey, and the Mercer County Office on Aging.

Refreshments will be served. The program is free, but registration is required (space is limited); contact project director Donna Sobel at DSobel@Greenwoodhouse.org or 609-883-5391, ext. 388. Those interested in volunteering should contact JFCS volunteer coordinator Eden Aaronson at edena@jfcsonline.org or 609-987-8100, ext. 113.