SANFORD, Fla. – A local organization is partnering with restaurants to provide a comfortable dining experience for people living with dementia and their caregivers.
Caregivers bear the weight of the disease, but a local organization called Dementia-Friendly Dining is hoping to lessen the load for caregivers and provide them with the opportunity to make memories with their loved ones while out to dinner.
Dennis Dulniak, co-founder of Dementia-Friendly Dining, said the organization came to be because of his own experience with the illness.
“I suffered through this with my wife, and it was with my wife where we created our first restaurant,” Dulniak said. “I was very, very proud that I could still take my wife out and enjoy that experience and I treasure those moments because I no longer have them.”
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So far, five Central Florida restaurants have signed up to provide Dementia-Friendly Dining, including the organization’s newest addition, Hollerbach’s in Sanford.
Dulniak said when a restaurant decides to participate, their staff undergoes special training to be able to provide the dementia-friendly dining experience.
“We will have Hollerbach’s staff take them to their back area, their side room, to where there’s not so much attractions, noise, the music is off in that area, and we place the client — the person with dementia — with their back to the door so that their visuals are more focused on their loved one,” Dulniak said. “We train the servers to establish great eye contact, a contagious smile, and focusing on the fact that we’re delivering quality service.”
Chris Cremen, chief operating officer for Hollerbach’s German Restaurant, said the reaction was bigger than expected when they announced the restaurant would offer dementia-friendly dining.
“Everyone kind of has a connection to dementia one way or another and that turns out very true,” Cremen said. “Tons of our staff have been connected to people, and then our guests have already started asking questions about it, making connections with our staff through it so the ripple is already there.”
Dementia-Friendly Dining’s other co-founder Toni Gitles said that being able to go out to dinner not only helps the patient, but the caregiver too.
“Going out to eat is a tradition in the United States,” Gitles said. “It’s something that’s normal and it makes you feel normal when you’re able to do that and when you’re in a safe environment.”
Hollerbach’s will begin offering dementia-friendly dining starting Monday, July 15, and every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m.
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