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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 23, 2019
Media Contact: Jill Schacter jschacter@cityofevanston.org
Phone:  847/448-8628

Dementia Resource Center Offers Information and Activities

Dementia can be an isolating illness, not only for those suffering from it but also for the care partners who help them on their journey. To meet the needs of the growing numbers of Evanston residents affected by dementia, the Evanston Public Library has launched a new Dementia Resource Center that provides information, education, and activities. 

There, patrons will find books on the subject of Alzheimer’s and dementia. These books are marked with a purple dot to identify them and can be borrowed like other library books. New materials will be added regularly.The Dementia Resource Center is housed next to the Falcon Room on the third floor of the Main Library. 

In addition, the Resource Center has take-home activity kits that can be checked out for a month at a time. These kits contain puzzles, games, and other mind and memory activities that encourage people on the different phases of the memory loss spectrum to interact with their care partners and others in their circle. The Library encourages feedback on how these activities work for those who borrow them. Presently, the activity kits are available only to Evanston residents.

“These activity kits are made available for those on the memory loss spectrum and their care partners to help find activities they can do together,” says Jill Skwerski, the Library’s Engagement Services Manager. “These activities promote access to tools they can use to discover more joy in their lives.”

The Dementia Resource Center serves the same population who attend the Library’s monthly Memory Cafés. The Memory Cafés, which began in September 2018, take place on the third Saturday of each month from 1:00 to 3:00 pm in the Falcon Room. Memory Cafés bring in art and service programs to provide enrichment activities for people living with dementia and also build community and provide support for their care partners. The events are social, fun, and offer equalizing opportunities to engage in art, dance, yoga, or music, among other activities.

The next Memory Café on August 17 will be a poetry workshop. No registration is necessary.

These new resources for patrons living with dementia and those who care for them are funded by a Reaching Across Illinois Libraries System (RAILS) partnership grant and by Age Options, a local nonprofit organization providing older adults and their care partners resources and service options.

People with dementia and their care partners are important stakeholders in the Evanston community. The Evanston Public Library offers them a dedicated program and resources to broaden their opportunities for fun and education. For more information about the Dementia Resource Center and the Memory Café, contact Jill Skwerski, Engagement Services Manager at jskwerski@cityofevanston.org or call her at 847-448-8664.

About the Evanston Public Library

For more than 140 years, the Library has provided educational, culturally-rich resources for all residents, helped children prepare for school through the joys of reading and learning, celebrated Evanston’s diversity, and helped residents find information they seek. The Library is more than a building of books; it is a place to meet, connect, learn and explore. To learn more, visit www.epl.org.