Subject area: Programs and customer service for people living with dementia

Format: Webinar 

Length: 1 hour

Audience: library professionals

Organiser: WebJunction

Presenter: Timothy J. Dickey (Adult Services Librarian)

 

Reflection:

The objective of this webinar is to gain a comprehensive overview of dementia and learn practical strategies for meeting the needs of people living with dementia and their caregivers. Knowing very little about this condition, it was essential for me to learn ways to support people in the community living with Alzheimer’s and dementia and reflect on the steps I need to take to strengthen and expand library services and programs in catering to their needs for both information and connection.

Alzheimer’s and related dementias are a global epidemic that affects many people in communities, causing social isolation and a spectrum of symptoms marked by cognitive decline that impacts on a person’s daily living activities. Public libraries have a great deal to offer people with dementia and aligns with their values of social justice and social responsibility. Research into nonpharmacological interventions that work to prevent or delay the onset of dementia include brain training, reading, creative engagement, lifelong learning, and social networks. These are all activities that libraries naturally offer and can seize greater and deeper opportunities to embed themselves in communities to become an essential part of caring for adults with dementia. This must involve dementia friendly frameworks to assess and tailor current programs and create new programs to help people with dementia to live well. There are a number of nonprofit organisations such as Alzheimer’s Association that offer resources, tools and training for staff to develop their skills and awareness in becoming dementia friendly. Some ideas for dementia friendly services include ‘Memory Cafés’ which is a monthly social gathering aimed at persons with dementia and their caregivers, ‘Tales and Travel’ aimed at using images and books to encourage telling travel stores, loaning memory kits and running musical programs.

This was a great introduction to how public libraries can make their programs friendly and inclusive for people living with dementia. As accessibility is a vast and ongoing project for public libraries and goes straight to the core mission of public libraries in connecting to their communities, this was an important element of upskilling and proactively learning what opportunities exist for public libraries in supporting people with dementia and Alzheimer’s.