A dementia café as a bridgehead for community-inclusive care: Qualitative analysis of observations by on-the-job training participants in a dementia café

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Dementia cafes are becoming widespread as a new approach to dementia care, but their operational procedures and significance have not been adequately studied. METHODS: On-the-job training (OJT) for professionals planning to operate a dementia cafe in the future was conducted in a pioneering dementia cafe in Japan. The reports of OJT trainees' observations and learning were analyzed qualitatively. RESULTS: Reports could be summarized in up to 9 themes: 2 related to the atmosphere and significance of the cafe, 3 related to the guests, such as people with dementia and their families, and 4 related to the cafe staff. DISCUSSION: The results of the present study identified the elements that make up dementia cafes and their significance and suggest that dementia cafes could be a new type of community resource for dementia care in the future.