Seoul's Seongbuk-gu Dementia Care Center held an opening ceremony Friday for "Green Memory Cafe," an integrated social rehabilitation space designed to support the social independence and emotional well-being of early-onset dementia patients.
Located on the fifth floor of Seongbuk-gu Public Health Center, the cafe is a specialized space for patients diagnosed with dementia before the age of 65 — a group particularly vulnerable to social and economic isolation. The facility aims to help them rebuild daily confidence through physical and emotional activities.
The cafe was established with 40 million won ($27,300) secured after the project was selected through a Seoul Metropolitan Government grant competition this year. It is the district's second smart-farm-linked rest space, following "Memory Farm Cafe," which operates out of the Jangwi Seokgwan Community Health Center.
At the cafe, dementia patients work as baristas, tending the center's in-house smart farm and crafting and selling beverages made from the organic produce they harvest. The setup is intended to ease the burden on caregivers and foster a dementia-friendly environment where patients can interact with local residents.
District Mayor Lee Seung-ro, the head of the district council, dementia patients and their families, and other stakeholders attended Friday's opening. Patients serving as baristas greeted guests from the stage, and a tasting event featuring freshly pressed juice and coffee made from smart-farm vegetables drew an enthusiastic response.
The Seongbuk-gu Dementia Care Center plans to expand the Green Memory Cafe into a hub for personalized cognitive rehabilitation and employment linkage for early-onset dementia patients, as well as a "community cognitive playground" where residents can interact and help improve public awareness of dementia.
"The Green Memory Cafe is a place of hope where dementia patients, like green sprouts growing, can tend to their own lives and reconnect with society," district mayor Lee said. "Seongbuk-gu will continue to do its utmost to build a dementia-friendly city where patients and their families can live with dignity and never feel alone."
The Seongbuk-gu Dementia Care Center provides comprehensive dementia management services, including early screening, support for treatment and diagnostic costs, missing-person prevention programs, and family support services.
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