New Strategies in Brain Health

At a time when many older adults want to stay sharp and independent, AARP in Washington and in Hawai‘i are promoting initiatives to help them do both.

In Washington, AARP is highlighting the Memory Café Expansion Initiative to open 100 Memory Cafés statewide within two years, says project lead Katie Zeitler of the University of Washington Memory and Brain Wellness Center.

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These informal gatherings — held in libraries, museums, community centers and restaurants — welcome people with dementia and their caregivers. Some feature music, art or movement. Others simply offer conversation and refreshments.

That connection matters because dementia often isolates those diagnosed and their loved ones, Zeitler says. “Social engagement is a crucial part of well-being,” she says.

Ginger Opdyke, 69, a retired math teacher on Whidbey Island in Puget Sound, saw that firsthand. After her husband was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease in 2017 (he died in 2025), everyday outings became awkward and support became scarce.

She launched a Memory Café in 2023. It now meets twice monthly, serves nine to 12 families and has reached 89 families with activities like art, music and games.

“A Memory Café is a place where the dementia kind of melts away,” says Opdyke.

“They don’t care if you tell a story 20 times,” she adds. “They don’t care if it takes you a while to walk across the room to sit down for the music.”

The wellness center offers in-person and virtual training to help start cafés. Find more information at aarp.org/memorycafe.

In Hawai‘i, AARP is partnering with the Brain Health Applied Research Institute to offer three free sessions on cognitive wellness; they’ll take place at the Aging in Place Workshop in Honolulu on Saturday, Aug. 1.

The sessions will cover brain health science and show how habits like sleep and a healthy diet support cognitive function.

The goal is “not just living as long as possible but truly enjoying life,” says Courtnee Nunokawa, a nurse practitioner at the institute.

For more on dementia, go to aarp.org/brainhealth.

More Resources on Brain Health

• Brain Health Resource Center
• Alzheimer’s and Other Dementias
• Getting a Diagnosis When Cognitive Problems Are a Concern