Table for You

by Emily Raij

Even though Toni Gitles had a professional background in healthcare and education, it was not enough for her to navigate through the daily challenge of caring for her aging mother. After 14 years of caregiving – including a move from California to Florida, countless doctor’s appointments, several major hospitalizations, and many lessons learned – Toni knew she wanted to share the knowledge she gained with others so that their roads might be smoother.

At the same time, Dennis Dulniak was learning many of the same lessons while caring for his wife as she battled Alzheimer’s disease.

After her mom passed, Toni became a Certified Caregiving Consultant and met Dennis while hosting a series of educational workshops for caregivers. The two became fast friends with a mutual goal of helping caregivers maintain their own quality of life and that of their loved ones. Then, Dennis had an idea.

He read about a program in Alexandria, Virginia, called Dementia-friendly Dining that provides a safe, enjoyable way for caregivers and their family members living with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia to eat out. He was inspired to bring it to Central Florida.

“After Dennis read the article, he took his wife to an Orlando restaurant and thought it was a great spot and would be a perfect candidate to introduce Dementia-friendly Dining to Central Florida,” Toni says. “He talked to the owners about setting aside a day and time each month for families to bring their loved ones with dementia, and it turns out the owners had dementia in their family, too.”

In January of 2020, Dementia-friendly Dining officially began at that restaurant, The Meatball Stoppe. Only months later, of course, the entire initiative was put on hold as COVID made dining out impossible for the extremely vulnerable population of seniors with dementia. More sadly, Dennis’s wife passed away in January of 2021, and that could easily have been the end of the entire 

Dementia-friendly Dining concept in Central Florida.

But Dennis and Toni remained inspired and teamed up to bring Dementia-friendly Dining back this past May. Not only that, they’re expanding the program’s footprint in the region, too. In addition to The Meatball Stoppe, Toni and Dennis are working with three other Central Florida restaurants – The Town House Restaurant in Oviedo, Patio Grill in Sanford, and Something Fishy in Altamonte Springs – to set aside specific days and times of the week to accommodate diners with dementia and train staff to best meet their needs.

Little Things Make a Big Difference

Besides cordoning off sections of each restaurant or providing separate, quiet rooms, Dementia-friendly Dining restaurants also keep tables clear of extra items, limit distractions, and agree to be listed on the Dementia-friendly Dining website at CentralFloridaDementia-FriendlyDining.com.

Restaurant staff, who wear Dementia-friendly Dining buttons during the special shifts, are trained by Toni and Dennis in subtle ways they can make guests with dementia more comfortable. Tips include making eye contact and smiling, speaking clearly and slowly, not startling guests by approaching from the side or behind, being aware that caregivers may do the ordering, and serving water immediately. Reminders are printed on a small card that fits inside a server’s order pad. Dennis also created a placemat with games and resources printed on it in light violet (the color for Alzheimer’s awareness), which restaurants get along with purple crayons for patrons to use. Participating restaurants also receive a Dementia-friendly Dining sticker to place on their windows.

“All of these people love their jobs and say they want to do a better job serving customers,” Toni says of the dozens of servers and staff she and Dennis have trained to date. 

The benefits for Dementia-friendly Dining customers are big. The program reduces isolation, creates shared memories, allows families to engage in normal activities, increases overall well-being and enjoyment, and provides opportunities for stimulation, socialization, and communication.

Most Dementia-friendly Dining customers are referred to the restaurants by Toni and Dennis, who also serve on the state’s Central Florida Dementia Care and Cure Initiative Task Force. Toni shares information with local assisted-living facilities, is a member of the Jewish Chamber of Commerce, and participates in events at The Roth Family 

JCC and The Jewish Pavilion. She and Dennis are always looking for new ways to spread the word and increase awareness.

“To see the excitement about this and contribute to the community is so great,” says Toni.