Memory café brings comfort and connection to Guysborough County

A community-driven program in Guysborough County helps break the isolation often felt by people living with dementia, as well as their caregivers.

The Guysborough and Area Dementia Support Group hosted “A Walk Down Memory Lane,” a public event designed to foster connection, stimulate memory and provide a safe space for those affected by cognitive impairment. The Guysborough County Community Health Board supported the project with financial backing from Nova Scotia Health’s Community Wellness Fund.

The event drew more than 80 participants to the Chedabucto Lifestyle Complex in Guysborough. Attendees enjoyed a catered meal, live music, dancing and a photo booth filled with playful props, all aimed at sparking joy and conversation.

“We wanted to create a nostalgic atmosphere; a café where caregivers, family members and individuals with cognitive impairments could gather,” said Ursula Ryan, founder of the support group. “We called it ‘Walk Down Memory Lane’ because it was designed to include all generations.”

Ryan, who cared for her husband after he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease at age 63, said the idea for the event grew out of her personal experience and the lack of inclusive programming in rural communities.

“We’re just a volunteer group in a small town,” she said. “There was nowhere for families to go together, no place where caregivers and their care partners could feel welcome. So, we created one.”

The support group, which first formed before the COVID-19 pandemic and was revived in 2022, holds monthly meetings and organizes events like the memory café to build a stronger safety net for local families.

Ryan said the response to the event was overwhelming.

“We had people travel in from other communities and we even provided gas cards to help with the cost,” she said. “The atmosphere was incredible. People felt safe, they felt cared for and they could just be themselves. We could laugh, dance and talk. There was no judgment.”

The event featured performances by local musicians, including vocalists, a fiddle player and a guitarist. Students from Guysborough Options for Adaptive Learning catered the meal, adding another layer of community involvement.

Ryan said the funding, about $2,000, was critical to making the event possible.

“In a rural community, that kind of support turns compassion into meaningful action,” she said. “Without it, we couldn’t have done this.”

One attendee told Ryan it was the first time she had ever taken her husband, who has dementia, to a public event.

“She said he had a great time and that she’d never miss another one,” Ryan recalled. “That’s why these events matter. They help people feel celebrated, not forgotten.”

Ryan hopes the success of “A Walk Down Memory Lane” will inspire more initiatives like it.

“We’re building a community of dignity and care,” she said. “People need to feel they’re supported, no matter what challenges they face.”

The Guysborough and Area Dementia Support Group plans to continue hosting inclusive events and sharing resources to raise awareness and reduce stigma around dementia.

“We make sure no one sits alone,” Ryan said. “Everyone deserves to feel like they belong.”

This year’s event saw close to 100 attendees. “When this many people come together to share memories, understanding and laughter,” she reflected, “it is a community at its finest.”

Photo of participants enjoying a light moment during last year’s “A Walk Down Memory Lane” in Guysborough County.