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Cognitive Care Kits
The project to introduce Cognitive Care Kits to the Belleville and Quinte West communities started in late 2021, a partnership between Belleville Public Library, Quinte West Public Library, and the Alzheimer Society of Hastings-Prince Edward. By partnering together, we hoped to offer a new, unique and high quality service to our shared communities. With support from the United Way Hastings & Prince Edward through an Innovation Grant, this project is intended to reach a population that is currently underserved by our libraries: caregivers and people living with dementia.
Our Cognitive Care Kits are based on The Dementiability Method which focuses on learning an individual’s unique abilities and interests, and creating enriching and meaningful opportunities for each person to live their best life. Cognitive Care Kits are intended to assist caregivers in engaging people living with dementia.
Key Components:
- Conversation starters
- Large print books
- Adult jigsaw puzzles
- Colouring pages
- Activities
The Dementiability Method uses the WOW method to best meet the needs of the person.
WOW Method:
Who is the person? What did they do in their past for work or home, what are their interests?
Observations: What are their triggers, habits, conditioned behaviours?
What will you do? Connect who they are with what you observe to figure out the best things for them to do.
Be the Start Button: Sometimes people with dementia need help getting started.
Try asking: I have this sorting activity here. Would you like to try it?
Adapt any of the activities in the Kit to meet the individual’s abilities, needs and interests. If an activity is not engaging your loved one, that’s okay! Try another activity. You can always revisit the activity at another time.
Who can borrow a kit?
- A caregiver to a person with dementia
- An activity director of a Nursing/Retirement Residence
- Alzheimer Society of Hastings-Prince Edward
- Community Health Centre
Borrowing Requirements:
- Valid library card in good standing
- Introduction to the kits by a BPL librarian
The kits go out for 3 weeks. There are no overdue fines, no holds and no renewals; one kit per library card at a time. There are kits available at both the Belleville and Trenton library locations. Kits must be returned inside the library at the Circulation desk.
***To arrange to borrow a kit, please contact the Information Services department at 613-968-6731 x 2037 or email us at infoserv@bellevillelibrary.ca to book an appointment. Library staff will introduce the kit, review the contents with you and explain how to effectively use the kit with your loved one.
If you have used one of our Cognitive Care Kits and would like to leave us some feedback, please email us at infoserv@bellevillelibrary.ca.
For More information:
Alzheimer Society of Hastings-Prince Edward
Call – 613-962-0892
Website – https://alzheimer.ca/hpe/en
DementiAbility
Call – 905-616-4044
Website – https://dementiability.com/
Quinte West Public Library
Call – 613-394-3381
Website – https://qwpl.ca/
