As Minnesota’s senior population grows and lives longer, more families are affected by Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia.
New “Memory Maker Kits” developed by the Anoka County Library are a resource to help families and caregivers interact in meaningful ways with those who have memory loss.
Created in partnership with the Statewide Health Improvement Partnership (SHIP), each kit includes items such as books, games, conversation cards and CDs featuring older music or radio programs. Each collection is unique, so patrons can check out kits with new and interesting activities.
“They are a way to get a conversation started,” said Janet Kleckner, branch manager at the Rum River Library in Anoka.
Depending on the extent of memory loss, interaction with a loved one can be difficult or awkward, but the kits are designed to help make the most of time spent together.
Dementia is a devastating thing and while much research is happening, this mode of help is one more thing to support and praise.