MISSOULA - The Missoula Public Library works hard to have adequate senior outreach and assistance.
The Memory Café at the library provides a safe space for people with dementia or Alzheimers and their caregivers.
It is a monthly event that includes activities from lawn games to line dancing. Everyone wears name tags and support staff from the library and Missoula Aging Services assist participants.
"It's been such an amazing program," said Missoula Public Library assistant director for community engagement Amanda Allpress. "People are so appreciative to have this resource. It's impacted not only people who have Alzheimer's or dementia, their socializing you know helped by isolation but also like for their caregivers and family members just having somewhere to go that's fun and safe and like carefree."
Allpress was a part of the reason the Memory Café was initiated, as she used to be involved with senior outreach.
“We just want to be able to make the library a place where everyone feels comfortable and welcome and that means that we might have to interact with people differently," she says.
The café provides a non-judgmental space, as well as giving caregivers piece of mind.
“In this kind of environment like at the Memory Cafe, nobody's judging you," library volunteer Marje Doyle says. "It's a chance for caregivers to not have to be caregiving... this gives them a chance to kind of back off. We're all taking care of each other during these programs.”
