The Cosy Cafe Kilbeggan

13/11/2025

Thank you to all who attended our November meeting this week

Thank you to Gary Blanchfield & Sandra Masterson from ALONE Ireland who joined us as our guest speakers and informed our group about the services ALONE can provide aiming to improve the wellbeing of older people to age positively & well at home.

Thank you to our musicians Mick & Pat who got us all out dancing!

We look forward to seeing you all again December 9th for a little 🎄Christmas party!



Dementia: Understand Together Irish Dementia Cafe Network Engaging Dementia The Alzheimer Society of Ireland

07/11/2025

Please feel free to join us TUESDAY 11th NOVEMBER in Kilbeggan Parish Centre where we will be joined by Sandra Masterson & Gary Blanchfield from ALONE.

(“ALONE is a national organisation that enables older people to age at home.”)

🎶 Mick Slevin & Pat Maguire are our musicians 🎶 for the afternoon with our usual tea, chat & nibbles! 🫖 🍰

We look forward to seeing you there from 11 a.m.

Please feel free to join us TUESDAY 11th NOVEMBER in Kilbeggan Parish Centre where we will be joined by Sandra Masterson & Gary Blanchfield from ALONE.

(“ALONE is a national organisation that enables older people to age at home.”)

🎶 Mick Slevin & Pat Maguire are our musicians 🎶 for the afternoon with our usual tea, chat & nibbles! 🫖 🍰

We look forward to seeing you there from 11 a.m.

Dementia: Understand Together Irish Dementia Cafe Network

07/11/2025

Young onset & Early Stage Dementia Activity Club in Athlone on Mondays

For more details please see image below:

The Alzheimer Society of Ireland

03/11/2025

There's still time to register for our FREE Webinar on Decision-Making Options for Individuals, Families and Carers which takes place this Tuesday, Nov 4th from 12pm - 1pm.

If you are living with dementia, or your son, daughter, parent or spouse has a progressive illness, affecting their capacity, then this is an opportunity to engage with a legal professional working in the field of capacity.

Muriel Moore has personal experience of dementia, in her family and is a solicitor specialising in the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act. She is a decision-making representative for a number of people, makes Decision-Making Representation applications where someone lacks capacity to make decisions themselves, and advises on making Enduring Powers of Attorney.
The session will cover the graduated approach to capacity, something we are familiar with when living with dementia and other progressive illnesses, showing how best to support independent decision-making, and how this is supported by the new law.
It will also address future planning for present and future scenarios where any one of us, through accident, illness or injury may lack capacity to make decisions affecting our own lives.

We will explore how anyone experiencing challenges with capacity may:
- choose another person to be a decision-supporter, who will be recognised by banks, financial institutions, healthcare providers as authorised to speak for you, and on your behalf.
- Provide for a such a person to act for you, and on your behalf in the future, by creating an Enduring Power of Attorney (where individuals can choose and appoint in advance the person or persons who will manage some or all of their affairs.)
- Provide in a document for their specific wishes regarding future care, in an Advanced Healthcare Directive.

The new law has human rights at its core, with an emphasis on respect for a person’s freedom to choose for themselves, maximum independence and employing the least invasive intervention focusing on the person’s own will and preference.

We will look at how this is being implemented, some of the difficulties in negotiating the legal processes and how to overcome them.

If you have any related questions that you would like to put to Muriel, please email: murielamoore@outlook.com and she will endeavour to answer them on the day.

We will also leave time for any practical queries you may have at the end of the webinar.
To sign up for free to the Webinar, click here: https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/webinar-on-decision-making-options-for-individuals-families-and-carers-tickets-1819467679809?aff=erelexpmlt

20/10/2025

Dementia Inclusive Community Workshop

🗓️ November 13th in
📍 SWEETS Ltd Kilbeggan

A workshop for individuals in the community/business owner/s wishing to help create a dementia-inclusive community by gaining a better understanding of dementia and learning how we can support those affected

If this is something you are interested in contact Tara Rice all details on flyer attached



The Alzheimer Society of Ireland

16/10/2025

Thank you to all who attended our October meeting this week.

Thank you to Holly Foley, Regional Advocate from Sage Advocacy who joined us as our guest speaker and informed us about what services Sage Advocacy can offer.

Thank you also to Enda Seery-Musician, Composer, Singer & Teacher our musician who entertained us all.

We look forward to seeing you all again next month!

Dementia: Understand Together Irish Dementia Cafe NetworkEngaging Dementia SWEETS Ltd Kilbeggan

09/10/2025

Engaging Dementia have teamed up again with IMMA’s Azure Programme and have FREE online art tours (from the comfort of home!) this October and November. If anyone is interested, more details below:

Due to the popularity of the FREE IMMA’s Azure Programme’s Online Art Tours, we have teamed up again to run 4 more tours this October & November.

These virtual tours are designed for people living with dementia, their families, carers, and supporters, offering a gentle and inclusive way to explore and enjoy art from the comfort of home.

Connecting through art: Looking at art can be a transformative experience. Art can move us, and prompt us to think or ask questions. IMMA’s Azure tours give people living with dementia and those close to them; a family member, friends or professional carer, the opportunity to view and experience artworks together. During Azure, you will explore a selection of artwork from IMMA’s Collection with an understanding and supportive facilitator who has received special training in dementia-inclusive arts programming.

It is a creative and engaging way to stay connected and inspired.

The Dates for the Online Sessions are:
• Thursday 16th of October at 3pm
• Thurs 23rd of October at 3pm
• Friday 14th of November at 3pm
• Friday 21st November at 3pm

To register, click here: https://imma.ticketsolve.com/ticketbooth/shows/873678117

If the event is fully booked, there is a waiting list option – put your name on it and someone will be in touch if a place becomes available!

What you need
Participants will need to have their own laptop or a shared laptop between 2 people. They will need to be able to hear the facilitators, and the facilitators will need to hear the participants, so the laptop/PC will need a speaker and a microphone.

Booking for a Group
Unfortunately, large groups sitting around 1 screen are not conducive to the above sessions so If you wish to book a group, just email Horizons@imma.ie and Sundara will book you in a bespoke session for your group.

01/10/2025

Please feel free to join us TUESDAY 11th NOVEMBER in Kilbeggan Parish Centre where we will be joined by Sandra Masterson & Gary Blanchfield from ALONE.

(“ALONE is a national organisation that enables older people to age at home.”)

🎶 Mick Slevin & Pat Maguire are our musicians 🎶 for the afternoon with our usual tea, chat & nibbles! 🫖 🍰

We look forward to seeing you there from 11 a.m.

Dementia: Understand Together Irish Dementia Cafe Network

27/09/2025

Listen to the Health and Wellbeing podcast (live on 24 September) about Dementia and the Arts.

Roisin Nevin and Matthew Gibb from St. James’s Hospital and Catherine Keogh Daly from Memory Harbour in Clonskeagh talk about the effect creativity can have on people living with dementia: https://bit.ly/4mN4uHT

25/09/2025

Join our free virtual Community Champions session on Wednesday 1 October, 12:30–1:30pm, for expert advice, support and insights from carers and professionals. Topics include legal rights, arts for wellbeing, and the impact of dementia-inclusive communities.

Speakers and topics include members of the Dementia Carers Campaign Network:

- Dr Eithne Heffernan, Lecturer in Psychology: The importance of dementia inclusive communities.
- Catherine Cox, Family Carers Ireland: Rights and entitlements
- Muriel Moore, Solicitor: Legal issues/Enduring Power of Attorney
- Sundara O Higgins, Irish Museum of Modern Art: Arts engagement for health and wellbeing

To register for your free space, email understandtogether@hse.ie

https://bit.ly/3W7nA05

13/09/2025

September is World Alzheimer’s Month. It’s a time to raise awareness and understanding about Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia and encourage people to ask questions and learn more about a condition that affects an estimated 1,154* people and their f...

13/09/2025

A big thank you to all who attending our September meeting!

To Richard Kelly from Whelehans Pharmacy who gave us a very informative presentation on Dementia & to our musicians Mick & Pat. We hope you all enjoyed the tea, treats & chats & look forward to doing it all again!

Also, is there a collective word for a group of Mary’s? …the photo opportunity couldn’t be missed & apologies if we left any Mary’s out that may have been present on the day!

Thank you also to Clair Harte & Aoife Troy Westmeath’s & Offaly’s Dementia advisor’s respectively from the Alzheimer’s Society of Ireland who popped in to see us & who topped up our information stand.

Next meeting 14th October



Irish Dementia Cafe NetworkDementia: Understand TogetherThe Alzheimer Society of Ireland