The Cafe of Mistaken Orders and its Benefits for Dementia Patients

The Cafe of Mistaken Orders and its Benefits for Dementia Patients

In the cafe of Orange Day Sengawa, waiters regularly greet their customers with a smile on their faces. Everybody is treated with kindness and respect. At first glance, everything appears to be functioning normally. But a strange pattern begins to emerge: the waiters frequently mix up their customers’ orders. 

However, servers at the cafe are not reprimanded or punished for their frequent mistakes. Both the workers and customers accept these misunderstandings. The workers’ lapses in memory can be explained by their diagnosis of dementia. After all, the cafe is also known as the Cafe of Mistaken Orders. 

Located in Sengawa, a suburb of Tokyo, Japan, Orange Day Sengawa opened its doors in 2017. The older servers received training and worked alongside younger volunteers who helped them. Even when making mistakes, the workers remain quite productive and genuinely enjoy the time they are spending. As stated on the company’s website, customers should “rest assured” because even if their orders are mistaken, everything on their menu “is delicious and one of a kind.” 

Shiro Oguni, the founder of the cafe, initially began this project to cultivate support and awareness for those suffering from dementia: “[M]y awareness of dementia at first tended towards negative images of people who were ‘radically forgetful’ [...]. But actually, they can cook, clean, do laundry, [...] and do other ‘normal’ things for themselves.”

Dementia is a disease that significantly impairs your essential cognitive abilities. The work that elderly servers do at Orange Day Sengawa helps to practice their cognitive functions, such as learning, decision making, or paying attention. Even if dementia currently has no cure, being mentally and physically active can help to “prolong their active years.” The cafe also builds a sense of community, in which those suffering can form emotional connections with many different people. 

Opening this program has helped with providing support to elderly individuals in Japan. In fact, it has the  “world’s oldest population.” Though the United States is not considered to have one of the world’s oldest populations, certain Americans are nevertheless facing difficulty while they age.

According to the Alzheimer’s Association, more than 6 million Americans have Alzheimer’s. Even though the disease continues to grow, not many caregivers exist for those suffering. For instance, about 30% of caregivers age 65 and older, and nearly 40% of primary care physicians reported that they were “never” or “only sometimes” comfortable making a diagnosis of dementia. Additionally, half of the primary care physicians included in the Alzheimer’s Association response noted that “they do not feel adequately prepared to care for individuals with Alzheimer’s and other dementias.”

Adequate care for dementia patients is essential for both their physical and mental well-being. Hospice and respite care are both effective options for end-of-life care, but some patients can find comfort in a livelier communal space. For example, adult day centers provide multiple benefits. With access to supervised recreational activities and exercise programs, dementia patients can socialize and feel productive. Different kinds of day centers exist, such as medical day cares (which offer more intensive health services). Specialized adult day care centers, for those suffering specifically from Alzheimer’s and dementia, can be very helpful. Full-time caregivers also benefit from these centers, as they provide them with a break. 

Including a carefully managed workspace, such as a restaurant or cafe, in a care center can be an additional option for dementia patients. Though it might take time, effort, and money to create this space, some care centers are government-funded. Like the organizers of the Cafe of Mistaken Orders, you can also let your local government know about your plan to treat dementia patients, or at least get your local community involved. In fact, in June of 2023, Japan passed legislation to establish “new programs and services to help those with dementia.” By increasing our support and advocacy for those suffering, we can also take small steps to get more funding. 

We can take the Cafe of Mistaken Orders as an inspiring example. To take care of our loved ones who are suffering, we should not only consider all options but also think about putting in new initiatives.

Article by Sena Oguzman