VOAWW launches dementia day program in Lynnwood, Everett expansion planned

Published 1:30 am Friday, August 14, 2026

LYNNWOOD — Dog facts, parachutes, and arts and crafts — just another day at the Old Friends Club in Lynnwood.

In late June, Volunteers of America Western Washington launched Snohomish County’s first location of the Old Friends Club, a Washington-based nonprofit that provides day programs for people with dementia. The program meets for five hours twice a week at the Lynnwood Neighborhood Center. Volunteers of America will expand the program to Everett in the fall.

“The program is designed for people with early-to-mid stage dementia to have a place where they come in and they get treated like a normal human being,” said Elias Coblentz, coordinator of the Volunteers of America Old Friends Club Program. “I joke around with them a lot, we laugh, we have engaging brain activities.”

On Wednesday, Coblentz led the group through a quiz about dogs, with question topics ranging from the breed of Snoopy to the main ingredient in dog food. Then, the group played a “Penny Pass” game with animal questions before moving into the craft of the day where they colored paper dogs. Earlier in the day, the club played with parachutes, Coblentz said.

“The whole goal is to let them reclaim a little bit of the independence that they lose with dementia,” Coblentz said. “… With dementia, you become isolated. It’s such a huge problem. You often lose your sense of community because you can’t drive anymore, you can’t go do the things you used to do.”

Each day, the club starts with a physical activity, such as water bottle weightlifting or chair yoga. Then, they play games like ring toss or balloon volleyball — the group’s favorite activity, Coblentz said. After lunch provided by the Lynnwood Neighborhood Center kitchen, the club does activities like trivia and arts and crafts. Coblentz said he tries not to repeat the same activities too often to give the group as much variety as possible.

The program also provides respite for caregivers, giving them time to work, go to appointments or rest. Christine Daubney has been taking her mother-in-law to the Old Friends Club since the Lynnwood location opened in June.

“Today, I was able to clean the house all on my own,” she said. “I can do those kinds of things, and just kind of be alone again. I work full time, so it’s nice to have a couple hours at home with just me, I can nap, I can watch whatever I want on TV, it’s been really helpful.”

At the same time, Daubney’s mother-in-law, Judy Deeter, said she enjoys going to the program each week.

“Each time I come, it’s something different, and the time goes really fast,” she said. “… The program is very nice, and the people are very friendly.”

Susan Erickson started volunteering with the Old Friends Club in July after hearing about the opportunity through Trinity Lutheran Church, which is next to the Lynnwood Neighborhood Center. She recalled a moment when the group was playing a game based on “The Price Is Right,” where they tried to guess how much certain items used to cost decades ago. Erickson shared a memory of her grandparents asking her to change the channel when it was time for the show to come on.

“There’s a person who doesn’t speak much, he gets very anxious,” Erickson said. “He said ‘Oh yeah, my sister and I had to do that.’ That’s the only complete sentence I’ve ever heard him say. That’s why some of these things are good to just let that unconscious mind speak.”

On Sept. 1, Volunteers of America will bring the Old Friends Club to Everett, where the club will meet twice a week at the Carl Gipson Center.

Volunteers of America is growing the program to meet the rising need for dementia care, Coblentz said. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, 1 in 9 Americans over the age of 65 have dementia, and that number is expected to grow to nearly 1 in 7 by 2045. In Snohomish County, more than 13,000 individuals are living with dementia, according to a Volunteers of America press release.

“It’s such an underserved need, both the respite care and something like this for people with dementia,” Coblentz said. “There is no better feeling than when they leave and they’re telling their caregiver, ‘I had a great time and such a good day.’ … I want this to be a program that caregivers feel really good about leaving their loved ones at.”

Those looking to request an intake appointment or learn more about the program can visit voaww.org/ofc.

Jenna Peterson: 425-339-3486; jenna.peterson@heraldnet.com; X: @jennarpetersonn.