Cafe in Shanghai offers training for senior citizens to fight cognitive disabilities
KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 19 — A cafe in Shanghai, China is training senior citizens to be receptionists, cashiers or even baristas to fight dysmnesia.
Launched in November last year, the Memory Café at Pudong now has 18 regular senior volunteers between 70 and 82 years, Global Times reported.
According to the portal, the volunteers come to the cafe weekly to be trained and practise their skills.
They also serve clients for about one to two hours during each shift.
One of the volunteers, Guo Lüli told the portal that she loves coming to the cafe to be trained as it is helpful to avoid dementia.
The 80-year-old said she benefited from Shanghai’s efforts in cultivating a senior-friendly environment.
She learned smart phone application skills at another community center for seniors and then joined the volunteer programme to get knowledge and skills about coffee.
Another volunteer, Peng Mingxiang said before joining the café, he would watch television daily.
“I felt lonely and afraid when I realised that I could not remember things well,” said the 73-year-old.
Peng said he made friends with people his age and shared experience of getting older in the cafe.
“I became brave and more optimistic. When I serve customers, even though I am slow or even served the wrong coffee, young people are understanding which makes me feel good and respected,” he added.
In the latest census, Shanghai has a population of 5.8 million residents aged 60 and above, which accounts for 23.5 per cent of the cosmopolitan’s 24.87 million total population.
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