For Release January 6, 2020

Families touched by Dementia now have a dining option in Orlando

The Meatball Stoppe is Central Florida’s 1st Dementia-friendly Restaurant Orlando — January 6, 2020 — On Thursday January 23rd from 11:30 am to 6:00 pm and every Thursday thereafter, The Meatball Stoppe at 7325 Lake Underhill Road will be welcoming families and loved ones with Alzheimer’s and Dementia to enjoy dining together. Owners and Chefs Isabella and Jeff Morgia personally know the difficulties faced by caregivers and families who struggle with the challenges of dementia and wanted to create a special space for them.

Isabella shared, “We have had three family members who have suffered and/or are currently suffering through this terrible disease of Alzheimer’s, so we personally know firsthand how this condition impacts the patients and their families. That’s why we want to make The Meatball Stoppe a place of comfort; a place that perhaps will remind them of home while feeding them a wonderful meal at the same time.”

Establishing dementia-friendly dining has been the goal of founding champion Dennis Dulniak, care partner for his wife Nancy who was placed in a memory care community a year ago. He has teamed up with Toni Gitles, Certified Caregiving Consultant and Educator with Heart Light Enterprises and Edith Gendron, Chief of Operations with the Alzheimer’s and Dementia Resource Center. The Meatball Stoppe is the first restaurant identified for training personnel, scheduling and publicizing, with more planned in the upcoming months.

Instrumental in bringing Dementia-friendly Dining to Orlando and Central Florida has been the coordination and support with the Senior Resource Alliance (Area Agency on Aging of Central Florida) and the Dementia Care and Cure Initiative (Florida Department of Elder Affairs) who continue to work toward creating enhanced Dementia-friendly communities with services and support in place to make that community hospitable to people living with dementia, their care partners, and loved ones.

For more information, press only: Dennis Dulniak 407-592-6670 ddulniak@ucf.edu