Real 'Forget-Me-Not Cafe' to open in city

A real-life “Forget-Me-Not Cafe” will soon open in the city, some three months after the second season of the reality show ended, its producer Lin Aixi said.

“Forget-Me-Not Cafe” is the country’s first reality show casting a spotlight on seniors with cognitive disorders, with Alzheimer’s as the most common form. It is aimed at changing people’s stereotypes and increasing their understanding of the condition.

The 10-episode series, which premiered on Tencent Video and Dragon TV on April 30, 2019, portrays the challenges they face and their passion for life during their work in a restaurant with celebrities.

In a sharing session held at the Science Hall, Lin said a real-life restaurant will open in Shanghai by the end of this year.

Under the plan, it will open to the public as a real business instead of a temporary set-up, and it will recruit seniors with cognitive disorders as servers, creating a friendly environment for them.

It is also expected to offer psychological help to families, recruit doctors as volunteers and create a platform to raise awareness of cognitive disorders by holding varied activities such as lectures.

As a major disorder of old age, Alzheimer’s affects about 50 million people in the world. In China, 10 million people live with Alzheimer’s, nearly 20 percent of the world total.

“Every three seconds, the world has a new Alzheimer’s sufferer,” said Li Xia, director of the geriatrics from Shanghai Mental Health Center.

Alzheimer’s is the third biggest health risks for the elderly, following cardiovascular disease and cancer. A World Health Organization report shows that the costs associated with Alzheimer's amount to 1 percent of global GDP.

“It has evolved to a serious social problem, but we haven't prepared enough to deal with it,” Li said

According to her, early detection and diagnosis really matter.

Cerebrospinal fluid testing and brain PET scan can detect the disease 10 to 15 years prior to the onset of symptoms, she said. 

But she recommends a better alternative which is to receive memory tests every year, especially for those aged over 75.

“Early detection, diagnosis and treatment can greatly delay the disease and improve life quality,” Li said. “Study shows if we can delay the onset of Alzheimer’s by five years, we will have only half of the sufferers.”