Support for people living with dementia and their loved ones will be available to the High Wycombe community at a new Royal Star & Garter drop-in café.

The Home in Hughenden Avenue will welcome people living with dementia and their family and friends for companionship, help and advice on the last Wednesday of every month.

The charity provides loving, compassionate care to veterans and their partners living with disability and dementia, providing long-term care, short-break care and day care services. The new drop-in café will welcome those in the local community living with dementia, irrespective of whether they have a connection to the military.

Complimentary hot drinks and cakes will also be offered during the sessions, which take place between 2-4pm on the last Wednesday of every month.

The drop-in café has been set-up by Reggie Ballos, the Home’s Dementia Nurse Manager, who said: “We want to help High Wycombe embrace being a dementia-friendly community.”

Visitors will be given a glimpse of Royal Star & Garter specialist dementia care in action, and participate in activities which are popular for residents with dementia, including the interactive ‘magic table’. These activities enable stimulation and interaction which promote a sense of well-being and belonging.

Visitors will also be able to seek advice from carers and nurses who specialise in dementia care, spend time with Royal Star & Garter residents, and meet other relatives and loved ones in a similar position to them.

Reggie continued: “This is an opportunity for us to reach out and share what we do in High Wycombe, support people living with dementia and their family and friends to meet others in a similar situation. We are here to offer advice and direction. We’ll have leaflets and contact details so that loved ones can leave feeling better equipped to deal with the journey ahead.”

The Home’s in-house Activities and Physiotherapy Teams will also be present, providing invaluable advice and explaining how their work benefits people with dementia.

Reggie hopes the drop-in café will help people in High Wycombe and surrounding area: “We’ve been wonderfully welcomed by the community since we opened last year, and we want to give something back. This is about sharing what we know and helping people understand the support that is out there.”

The first Dementia Drop-In café will be on 26 February. Visitors are not required to book in advance, but anyone wanting further information about the drop-in café or care at the High Wycombe Royal Star & Garter can call 01494 927 555.

The charity is renowned for its pioneering work in dementia care, led by Director of Care Pauline Shaw, who was awarded an OBE in 2018 for services to Veterans.