More Than a Memory: Experiencing Memory Cafe as a Caregiver

Melody Legge is CASL’s Director of Human Resources and Chair of the CASL Culture Committee. She also cares for her mother, who is living with Alzheimer’s. In this piece, she writes about attending Memory Cafe at Garfield Park Conservatory on August 11 — not in her usual role as a CASL staff member, but as a caregiver and daughter.

I’ve experienced CASL’s Memory Cafe from a few different perspectives. 

As a CASL employee, I’ve volunteered at Memory Cafe events and gotten to know some of the older adults who participate through our Adult Day Services program. I’ve received handshakes, hugs, kisses—and even the occasional piece of fruit. 

But on August 11, I experienced Memory Cafe differently. I took the day off and attended Memory Cafe at Garfield Park Conservatory as a caregiver, alongside my mum, who is living with Alzheimer’s, and my husband. 

When we first entered the Conservatory, Mum looked around and said something along the lines of, “Oh, that’s beautiful.” 

As her Alzheimer’s has progressed, her words don’t always come through clearly. So when they do—especially with excitement—you know you’ve found something that is connecting with her. And the Conservatory connected. 

Memory Cafe at Garfield Park Conservatory brings together individuals experiencing memory challenges and their caregivers for connection, activities and an opportunity to experience one of Chicago’s most beautiful spaces. 

About 40 people joined us that morning. Mum settled in with an activity book CASL had provided while we prepared for the day. 

Then Chicago weather decided to add something that definitely wasn’t on the agenda: a tornado warning. 

We needed to shelter in place. 

What could have been a difficult transition was handled remarkably well. My CASL colleagues, representatives from the Chicago Department of Family and Support Services, Garfield Park Conservatory staff, and Chicago Park District representatives calmly and quickly moved everyone into safe employee areas behind the scenes. 

For someone experiencing cognitive changes, being excited about an outing, settling into a new environment and then suddenly being asked to move again can be a lot. 

The team understood that. 

Once everyone was safe, Carlos Miranda, CASL Caregiver Support Services Case Manager, and Yinan Chen, Caregiver Support Service Program Coordinator, helped the group reset with gentle breathing, movement and calming exercises. 

Even the planned sensory experience adapted. 

Because our walk through the Conservatory had to be shortened, staff brought pieces of it to us. Participants could smell vanilla from the Conservatory’s vanilla plant and feel a palm frond—continuing the experience through scent and touch until we could safely return to exploring the gardens. 

Mum missed some of this because caregiving does not stop for tornado warnings, but she was perfectly content with her activity book and, when necessary, chocolate chip cookies supplied by CASL. 

Once we were able to explore, Mum loved being pushed through the Conservatory in her wheelchair, looking at the plants and flowers and making excited comments about what she saw. 

Mum used to garden, so plants and flowers have always been meaningful to her. We made sure to stop for photos, including one beside a marigold—a little connection to home and her own history with gardening. 

But another family I met that morning reminded me why experiences like Memory Cafe matter beyond the activity itself. 

A multigenerational, Spanish-speaking family had come together to support their loved one who is living with Alzheimer’s. Her husband, children, daughter-in-law and grandchildren were there. They were relatively new to this journey and were beginning to find resources and build a community around themselves as a family. 

They also wanted to take what they learned and share it with others in their community who may find themselves on the same path. 

That is where a program like Memory Cafe can become a doorway to something much larger. 

CASL’s support is not only multilingual; it is culturally responsive. Our team understands that caregiving happens within families, cultures and communities, and those dynamics can shape how people understand dementia, ask for help and care for someone they love. 

Through CASL’s integrated services, a connection at Memory Cafe can also lead to a conversation about what else a family needs: support for the caregiver, services for an older adult, benefits, health resources or another form of assistance they may not even know is available. 

Sometimes the first step is simply getting everyone into the same room. 

We had planned to finish our visit with a picnic outside the Conservatory. The weather had other ideas about that, too. 

So we adapted one more time. 

We found a table inside and unpacked the turkey sandwiches, homemade Italian pasta salad, melon, chips and brownies I had brought. Mum relaxed, ate well and polished off two brownies. 

Then we took her home to her community, where she was very ready for a nap. 

It was a full day. 

As a CASL employee, I already knew why Memory Cafe mattered. As a caregiver—and as a daughter—I got to experience why it matters. 

Mum may not remember every detail of our day at Garfield Park Conservatory. 

But she was there. She saw something beautiful. She was engaged. She enjoyed cookies and brownies. She was surrounded by people who understood how to meet her where she was. 

And we got to have that day together. 

Memory Cafe at Garfield Park Conservatory is made possible through a partnership among CASL, the Chicago Department of Family and Support Services, Garfield Park Conservatory Alliance, and Chicago Park District. The program is free and designed for people experiencing memory challenges and their loved ones and caregivers. 

The next Memory Cafe at Garfield Park Conservatory will be held in October. Learn more about CASL’s Caregiver Support Services, as well as future Memory Cafe dates.