Libraries to offer countywide dementia caregiver training, sensory activity kits

Community Navigator Angi Polito displays the contents of sensory activity kits, available from the Randolph County Public Libraries, that caregivers can use with people experiencing dementia.

ASHEBORO – Caregivers for people experiencing dementia are invited to participate in hands-on, multi-disciplinary training workshops presented by the Dementia Alliance of North Carolina at three Randolph County Public Libraries locations on August 30 and 31.

Called “Accepting the Challenge,” the training will be offered at the libraries as follows;

• Archdale Public Library, 3 p.m. Tuesday, August 30;
• Liberty Public Library, 6 p.m. Tuesday, August 30;
• Asheboro Public Library, 10 a.m. Wednesday, August 31.

The sessions, conducted by Melanie Bunn, RN MS GNP, of the Dementia Alliance and hosted by the library’s Community Navigators, are free and open to all caregivers and potential caregivers. No registration is required.

The 2-hour workshop is designed to help caregivers provide the best care possible and in turn offer a quality of life for people with dementia. Topics include background information on dementia and Alzheimer’s disease; physical approaches; communication skills; offering assistance; evaluating cognitive levels; “Meaningful Days” (activities); and problem behavior.

The “Accepting the Challenge” training will be available on two DVD sets that can be checked out from the library.

Also available from the library are 11 sensory activity kits for caregivers to use people experiencing dementia. The kits provide simple, hands-on experiences that keep the person’s mind active and offer the comfort of a repetitive action.

All the kits include fidget balls and reusable water paint cards. Kits aimed primarily for women include a companion doll and a lacing activity card, while those aimed for men include a busy-work board and “Plumber Pals” pipes. 

Each bundle also includes three books for caregivers: Put Your Mask on First, a book about self-care; Caregiving 101: Activities for the Family Caregiver; and Caregiving 101: Activity Fun Book. The kits will be available at each library, on the Mobile Library and through the Extension Services Department.

The dementia-care project was developed by Community Navigator Angi Polito and funded through a Bright Ideas Grant awarded by the State Library of North Carolina.

The grant is made possible by funding from the federal Institute of Library and Museum Services (IMLS) under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) as administered by the State Library of North Carolina, a division of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (IMLS grant number LS-252476-OLS-21).

For further information, call the Community Navigators at 336-318-6825 or email them at navigators@randolphlibrary.org.