Many people are stressed out during the holidays, even if they don't think they are. That's why Alzheimer's communication specialist Jytte Lokvig said the holidays are hard for both those with Alzheimer's disease and dementia and their caregivers.

To help alleviate the problem, and give those people a place to meet others in a similar situation, Lokvig recently started monthly social gatherings called The Alzheimer's Cafe.

From 2 to 4 p.m. Wednesday, Lokvig will hold a holiday celebration at the December Alzheimer's Cafe.

"When people lose their speech and lose their cognition, the other senses kind of take over and they are more sensitive to feelings in others," Lokvig said. She said that they pick up on their caregivers' and families' stress. "Anything that we would normally consider a regular celebration can be stressful for those with Alzheimer's."

Lokvig got the idea for the Alzheimer's Cafe when she was doing Internet research for her doctoral thesis.

"I just saw this title that said, 'Alzheimer's Cafe,' " Lokvig said. "I didn't even open it up, I just said, 'That's brilliant.' "

When she finally did read about it, she liked the description of the social gatherings for those with the disease in England, Holland, Germany and across Scandinavia that have been growing over the past five years.

"They've have been very successful," Lokvig said. "As a matter of fact, their crowds are growing exponentially."

She thought it was a great idea to implement here. She started in October and with no advertising or publicity, managed to draw more than 30 people to both the October and November events.

"The Alzheimer's Cafe provides a safe environment — safe in the way that people can be themselves with no judgment and no expectations — and they can come and socialize," Lokvig said.

In addition to socialization, participants can do artwork, sing or dance. Lokvig said the activities vary each session.

"We go with the flow and get a feel for what the crowd might want and go with that," Lokvig said. "It gives a person with Alzheimer's a chance to be with others in the same predicament that they are ... and also it gives a chance for their caregivers a chance to socialize on their own, knowing that their person is safe."

Lokvig said she and her team would like to reach all caregivers and those they care for, but the Alzheimer's Cafe is not recommended for those who may be sensitive to crowds and noise.

"I'm concerned that we reach family caregivers who are caring for people in the more advanced stages," Lokvig said. "They are often embarrassed to bring them out in public because of behavior patterns that may be unusual."

Lokvig became interested in Alzheimer's in 1993 when she was asked to care for a friend's mother who had the disease. She was unaware how to care for the woman, so she did research.

In 1999, she published the first edition of Alzheimer's A to Z: Secrets to Successful Caregiving and last year received her Ph.D from California Pacific University.

"What I love is the feedback I've been getting from people," Lokvig said. "Several of the people who were at the last one were at the early stages of the disease but who themselves are able to communicate their feelings, and they really thanked me for doing this, that it was so needed and they felt absolutely at home and safe.

"The wife of one of the people who attended said that she hadn't seen her husband smile, or dance or be that happy and that made me cry."

Lokvig suggests a donation of $5 to the cafes, but only so she can build a fund to pay for the future cafes, which take place once a month. Local agencies that work with individuals with Alzheimer's pay for the snacks and supplies for each cafe. So far, Kingston Residence and Sierra Vista have sponsored cafes.

She hopes to secure money — both through grants and private donations — so she can eventually sponsor cafes every week at different locations. The Alzheimer's Cafe is under the auspices of the New Mexico Dance Coalition, so donations are tax deductible.