Paul and Alice Padilla, at left, during a recent Momentia walk through the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle. Alice, 63, was diagnosed with dementia two years ago. Credit: YES! Magazine/Betty Udesen.
Alice Padilla’s laugh cut through the air at Seattle’s Woodland Park Zoo. Fresh off an hour-long exhibit tour, she and 16 other friends sat in the zoo cafeteria, snacking on sugar cookies and mocking current bestsellers. The group could appear to be just another cluster of friends visiting the zoo. But they were there for another purpose, too: to provide joy as much as support. Part of a program called Momentia, more than half of the people in the group have dementia.
