According to a press release, the Irvin L. Young Memorial Library in Whitewater will create more Memory Activity Kits for those with dementia through use of this month’s AARP Wisconsin “Small Dollar, Big Impact” grant. These Memory Activity Kits will provide therapy and help occupy the time of people living with dementia so that their care partners can have some time to themselves.
The library currently has six Memory Activity Kits, and is in the process of making two more. Each kit has a theme; such as sewing, games, gardening, puzzles, assembling, and even a history of Whitewater, that are designed to be used in the home to entertain, engage, and enrich the lives of those affected with memory loss.
The $1 thousand from this grant will be used by the library to purchase therapy dolls and motorized pets. These will allow the person living with dementia to have something to cuddle and care for. The other two additional kits will include motorized therapy pets that actually respond when petted and are programmed to make cat and dog noises at acceptable sound levels.
Items in all of the kits are selected to spark memories, create positive feelings, and increase meaningful activity. The purchase of the therapy dolls and pets will occur soon, and will be ready to loan out to library patrons by the end of this year. The kits can be checked out for a period of three weeks at a time and can be renewed once.
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