, 
, 
, 
Two Rock County organizations are collaborating to support families whose loved ones are living with dementia.
A.C.E. of Southwest Minnesota and the local Friends of the Library are sponsoring reminiscence kits now available for checkout from the Rock County Library.
Linda Wenzel, the local A.C.E. (Achieve, Connect, Educate) coordinator, and library director Calla Jarvie assembled seven kits, each with its own theme — sewing, farming, do-it-yourself, baking, pets, hunting and gardening.
“The items are meant to be props for discussion,” Jarvie said. “The gardening kit does include seeds, but we don’t intend for those to be planted. Each kit does include at least one book, so we would hope the book will be read and used.”
A.C.E. of Southwest Minnesota recently received a grant from the Minnesota Board on Aging to support its ongoing efforts to educate the public about dementia in the seven-county service area.
In Rock County the grant launched the Southwest Dementia Awareness Network (SWDAN), a support group for caregivers for people with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia.
The reminiscence kits were assembled with $500 from the grant with the Friends of the Library contributing an additional $200.
A kit can be checked out for two weeks.
Items inside the kits were selected to trigger pleasant memories for those with memory loss and encourage them to share those stories.
“The items were chosen for their texture, size — they need to fit in the tubs we have for the kits — and if we thought they would be good for jogging memories,” Jarvie said.
In the pets reminiscence kit, for example, a stuffed dog and cat were included.
“The farm kit has a John Deere model tractor and a Case IH model tractor — we know how divisive that can be,” Jarvie joked about local brand allegiance.
Items are also meant to stimulate a person’s five senses — touch, sight, smell, taste and/or sound.
Wenzel pointed to the bookcase analogy from the Dementia Friends Minnesota as to why the reminiscence kits are important and special care was taken to choose items common in the community.
She said dementia is like a bookshelf. Books with facts and complex thinking are on the top shelf. Then the shelf is rocked — much like the beginning effects of dementia — the top books fall away quickly. Emotions and feelings remain longer because they are located on the lower shelves or inner parts of the brain.
In someone with memory loss, the reminiscence kits tap into the longer-lasting lower shelves, to create discussions and improve the quality of life to those sharing the experience.
More than one reminiscence kit can be borrowed from the library at one time. The groups plan to develop more kits in the future.
An upcoming Southwest Dementia Awareness Network virtual walk fundraiser will add lifelike companion pets for library checkout.