TOWNSHIP OF WASHINGTON, N.J.—Township Theatre will host its first “dementia-friendly” movie event on Wednesday, April 9, offering individuals with dementia and Alzheimer’s a rare opportunity to attend a movie while their caregivers receive a bit of respite.
The theatre is at 249 Pascack Road in Washington Town Center. The movie “Mamma Mia!” (2008) will be shown at 1 p.m. Doors open at 12:30.
Sponsors North Jersey Villages and Senior Helpers invite caregivers to register individuals with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease to attend the matinee, which will kick off a months-long program of similar movie events, according to the event sponsors.
“We believe this is the first program of its kind to be held in North Jersey,” said Jane Galligan, a nurse with Senior Helpers.
Dementia-friendly movie programming makes it easy and fun for people on the dementia journey, along with their caregivers, families, and friends, to enjoy a social and cultural experience, Galligan noted.
Township Theatre co-owner Laura Rose, who, with her husband, Dave, reopened the theater in April 2021, said, “We feel very honored to work with this group and to host the first event they’re doing. We really love to do events that cater to different groups, including seniors and those with disabilities,” she said.
Rose explained that the theater works with the Access for All Commission in Mahwah and hosts movie events for other organizations that help individuals with disabilities.
The event costs $10 per person, which includes admission, water, and snacks. Those interested in attending can contact the Dementia-Friendly Cinema Project Team at https://northjerseyvillages.org or email kathy@northjerseyvillages.org.
Event sponsors encourage those wishing to attend to register by April 7 to ensure a seat.
Galligan said the team is aiming to sponsor eight movie matinee events between April and November 2025.
“We are hoping to reach patients who are homebound and whose caregivers are at home,” she added. “We’re encouraging dancing, singing, and clapping—an interactive event.”
At least a half-dozen volunteers will be on hand to assist guests, with lighting and sound adjusted to make everyone feel comfortable.
In addition to the April 9 movie, sponsors are planning another dementia-friendly movie event on Wednesday, May 7, at the Hawthorne Theater.
Kathy Kuzma, North Jersey Villages executive director, explained, “As many of you know, North Jersey Villages is a not-for-profit that assists communities in creating neighborhood networks for those choosing to age at home. We also coordinate many projects to improve the quality of life for as many of these older adults as we can reach—through libraries, senior centers, Zoom, cable TV, and now, movie theaters.”
Kuzma continued, “An afternoon out to a theater featuring classic movie musicals in a safely lit, lower-volume environment makes it easy and fun for people on the dementia journey and their companions to enjoy a social and cultural experience. Easily identified volunteers will welcome guests and assist them with getting tickets, snacks, seats, finding restrooms, parking, and retrieving mobility devices.”
NJV explains on its website, “A wonderful project team has come forward — Linda Cutrupi, Jane Galligan, Vivian Green-Korner, Meghan LaBruno, Jeanne Martin, and Marlene Ceragno — to create a program that makes it easy and fun for individuals on the dementia journey and their caregivers to enjoy a social and cultural afternoon.”
The Dementia-Friendly Cinema Program was launched in March 2023 by Dementia Friendly Saline and Emagine Theaters and operates in cities across several states, Kuzma noted.