INNISFAIL – A new dementia resource centre is coming to Innisfail.
Dementia Alberta recently partnered with the Innisfail Library/Learning Centre to provide information and resources to local families and those living with dementia.
“It’s a resource centre in Innisfail where people can come and get materials, a book or a DVD,” said Jean Barclay, founder of Dementia Alberta. “We wanted to have something local (for Innisfail residents).
“It’s wonderful that the library said yes to this project,” she added.
The new resource centre will include a display with several books and other reading material, as well as a couple of DVDs.
The items were recently purchased thanks to a funding gift from Innisfail resident Una Spence, who donated $240 to Dementia Alberta in memory of her late husband Peter.
The money was collected during Peter’s celebration of life last year.
“They had a celebration of life for Peter and Una chose to make Dementia Alberta the beneficiary of that service,” said Barclay.
They decided to put that money towards creating a dementia resource centre at the learning centre so that Innisfail families wouldn’t have to travel to Red Deer for information or to purchase a book and other materials.
The resource centre will be free to use, noted Barclay, and in addition to Dementia Alberta it will be another way to help Innisfail families and individuals living with dementia.
“Dementia Alberta is a support group that started about three years ago,” said Barclay, adding they meet once a month in Innisfail. “It’s a support system for people that have family (members) living with dementia. People living with dementia can also come to the group.”
Sara Kepper, library manager, said the new resource centre will benefit Innisfail residents and help them learn about dementia resources available locally.
“I think that’s the library’s role, to team up with different groups and make as much information available to the public as possible,” said Kepper.
Spence was delighted to see the project come together.
"I’m really pleased. It’s going to be available to anyone,” said Spence. “Anyone can come and get a book.”
Barclay said the books and other resources will help Innisfail families in several ways.
“There’s going to be books that will teach people about dementia but also a lot of books are about hope,” said Barclay. “I know two books in particular that are coming in that are wonderful books. They were the first books that I read about living with dementia that really made me look at it differently,” she added. “There’s a couple of DVDs I think people will really enjoy as well.”
The dementia resource centre is still awaiting the arrival of materials and is expected to be ready to use later this spring with an anticipated date of early May, said Kepper.
Barclay noted how she sees the support group and the new resource centre working together to make the lives of people with dementia and their families better.
“People can still do things. They can still be in the community. They can still volunteer and we can still engage them in things,” said Barclay. “The worst thing we can do is let people be isolated because they may not be the same as they were.
“That’s my hope going forward,” she added. “That we can integrate people living with dementia into our community and not isolate them from it.”
