Old friends club

Old Friends Club

Welcoming Friends. Enriching lives.

A place of fun and friendship for adults with memory loss or cognitive change, and a healthy break for family caregivers.

Club Members

Find a sense of belonging and purpose in an environment of trust and respect.

Family Caregivers

Find time to re-energize, meet with friends, or run errands. The Club’s trained staff become trusted resources.

Affordable Daytime Care

Low monthly fees. Attend two or three days a week. Financial assistance may be available.

Days at the club

Each 5- hour day may bring:

Gratifying creative projects
Music and singing
Games that spark laughter and fellowship
Playful exercises
Shared stories and positive conversations
Informative presentations
Lunch

The club is offered:

Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays

9:30 am – 2:30 pm

Club meetings are provided at:

Tolt Congregational Church

4851 Tolt Ave.

Carnation, WA 98014

(425) 333-4254

Philosophy

Mission

Old Friends Club empowers communities to cultivate joy in the lives of adults with cognitive challenges and nourish the well-being of family members

Vision

Our vision is a society where people affected by dementia are included, respected, supported, and have the resources they need to live well. Old Friends Club members learn to better understand dementia, convey kindness and expertise to those effected by dementia and move to destigmatizing dementia. Despite diagnosis, we want to return to the freedom to choose where to live, to enjoy meaningful and purposeful activities, to stay fit, and to stay connected.

Values

At Old Friends Club, we believe every person deserves the opportunity to utilize respite care regardless of where they live or their socio-economic status. Our goal is to bring OFC into the valley where there are limited dementia resources available, so more people have access to a program like this.

From our Program Director

The hardest thing I came to realize with both my Father and Husband was that I had to step in to make decisions for them in their best interest. At first, I felt so guilty as I viewed this as taking away their last bits of independence. Then I realized that as we age, even before any dementia has surfaced, we often say no to something new, let alone with the added fear of dementia. The best thing I did was to stimulate them through sight, sound, touch, fragrance and through varied cognitive and physical outlets. Old Friends Club does all of this, with the added benefit of a break for caregivers two or three days a week.

Life-saving!

Joan Wheeler

Old Friends Club Organization

Old Friends Club empowers community-based organizations to offer tangible, life-changing support to people living with dementia and those who care for them. The friends and family are, by far, the leading providers of dementia care. So much depends on them, and they need our support. This is a resource improving on, or perhaps returning to the wholesome roots of the adult day model. Studies who proven effectiveness and benefits of these programs, including promoting the resilience that caregivers need to continue offering care at home.

Slowing dementia: Delaying more severe symptoms

Old Friends Club supports all 7 pillars of a brain healthy lifestyle which can delay the onset of more severe symptoms

Pillar 1: Regular exercise
- 10 minutes of simple chair exercises improves blood flow and flexibility
Pillar 2: Social engagement
- Conversation, teamwork and engaged activities
Pillar 3: Healthy diet
- Nutritious lunch served
Pillar 4: Mental stimulation
- Guided activities stimulate the brain, increasing cognitive skills
Pillar 5: Quality sleep
- Physical and cognitive stimulation during the day improves quality of sleep
Pillar 6: Stress management
- Guided activities, repetition, laughter and music all reduce stress. Caregivers stress is reduced also.
Pillar 7: Vascular health
- Exercising and lowering stress improves vascular health