A group helping to make restaurant visits go smoothly for diners with dementia and the businesses serving them is looking to expand.
Darryl Bartlett, owner of A Little Pizza Heaven in the Green Ridge section of Scranton, took action after he and his wife, Toni, had a bad experience at a restaurant last year. Toni Bartlett has dementia.
“A lot of situations are overwhelming and can be too much,” he said.
In addition to Bartlett’s own restaurant, two Lackawanna County businesses have earned the certification to display a purple Dementia Friendly Dining window sticker. Pasquale’s Pizzeria and Family Restaurant, 485 Main St., Archbald, joined in November. Taylor Deli, 125 N. Main St., Taylor, earned the certification several days ago.
Pasquale’s Pizzeria and Family Restaurant is a Dementia Friendly Dining restaurant. (COURTESY OF AGE FRIENDLY LACKAWANNA)
The Taylor Deli staff were trained to provide dementia-friendly service. (COURTESY OF AGE FRIENDLY LACKAWANNA)
A logo for Dementia Friendly Dining. (COURTESY OF AGE FRIENDLY LACKAWANNA)
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Pasquale’s Pizzeria and Family Restaurant is a Dementia Friendly Dining restaurant. (COURTESY OF AGE FRIENDLY LACKAWANNA)
Last year, Bartlett’s wife became overwhelmed by the bustle of a restaurant they previosly patronized. They switched their order to takeout. While they were waiting, she tried to head to the car and could not find her way to the door.
Bartlett teamed up with Age Friendly Lackawanna, a collaborative of around 30 organizations and agencies managed by United Way Lackawanna, Wayne and Pike.
Mike Castellano, United Way special projects manager, gives the free hourlong training sessions at restaurants.
Tips include getting on a diner’s level to speak and look them in the eye, rather than looming over them. Keep choices limited; if a diner is interested in a certain kind of dish, point to one or two items on the menu, instead of running through a long list.
Take care not to show frustration, Castellano said. Confronted with negative emotions, people with dementia can struggle to react appropriately.
“When you’re frustrated and somebody sees it, they’re going to think something is wrong,” Castellano said. “And so for someone living with dementia, whose memory may be impaired, whose judgment may be impaired, who is already feeling like they’re out of place? Someone who is showing negative emotion could be mirrored by the individual living with dementia.”
It’s not necessary to call a dementia-friendly restaurant in advance, but it might help, Bartlett said. Talking over the hum of his packed restaurant at noon on Friday, Bartlett said that if a caretaker called, he would suggest quieter times.
There is a contact form on the website: agefriendlylackawanna.com/dementia-friendly-dining.
Castellano said he has heard good things from caretakers who choose the certified restaurants and hopes more will give it a try. Trips outside the home can be hard.
“Our world’s become very small,” Bartlett said.