Welcome to the MindCare Memory Care Blog!

MindCare has prepared several documents to assist Public Libraries to offer programs and services to their communities in the domains of programs and services for seniors and older adults, becoming a memory care friendly place, and ensuring staff are well informed and empathetic to the needs of members who may (or may not) be cognitive or memory decline.

The three reports so far are this one – Memory Care Infographics in Public Libraries: Education and Marketing Inspirations and Links as well as Memory Care Programs in Public Libraries:  Background and FAQ (which answers the most common questions we hear about Library programs for memory care, and individuals affect by some stage of aphasia, dementia, or Alzheimer’s) and A Directory of Memory Care Program Guides for Caregivers and Public Library Members (which outlines over 30 programs for Public Libraries to consider in senior-friendly environments), and

We are delighted to be participating in the ALA Conference 2023 in Chicago where we are maintaining on of our concepts for Public Libraries – A Memory Care and Sensory Space.  We’re there to chat and test our ideas with library professionals and introduce our ideas too.  We look forward to many interesting conversations and sharing with you.

Some ways to use this guide is to:

1. Learn more about services to individuals and partners serving populations that experience memory issues in your community.
2. Prepare your staff teams with a deeper understanding of memory issues as we age.
3. Choose to meet some visionary goals in serving the seniors in your membership by providing innovative, inventive, and impactful activities in-house, in partnership, or during outreach.
4. Promote awareness to your communities using these graphics. 

There are many good hooks to engage your communities since:

• Most of us will experience ourselves, or as a caregiver to friends and family, some memory issues on the memory loss spectrum.
• One great strength of our profession is that many of use see patrons experiencing physical and mental health issues daily and look to help where we can.
• We and our colleagues are a curious bunch, and love to learn more about the skills we need to serve our members well and with empathy for great social impacts on our communities.