Page 14 - MARCH2022

Page 14 NEWFOUNDLAKELIFE.COM March 2022
Wellness
By BRittany amalfi
PLYMOUTH - The Pease Public Library goes above and beyond with all of the activities and events they put on for their patrons, and the Memory Care Crafts program organized by Becky White is no different. Pease would never count out the older generation with activities and pro- grams for all age ranges. Becky White, Archivist and Reference Librarian, was thinking about how the Pease Public Libray could accommodate older generations with fun activities. She thought about how the library did take- away crafts for kids and teens, and why not do those for the older pa- trons as well?
After attending an enlightening webinar, White learned that arts
The Hebron Area Women’s Group (HAWGS) would like to invite residents of Hebron and neighboring towns to join us as a guest for our upcoming luncheon/ speaker on Thursday, March
and crafts could be beneficial for people with Alzheimer’s and De- mentia. And since COVID cases were on the rise at the beginning of 2022, she wanted to find a way to give the older demographic activities without putting them at risk. With that, Becky created the Memory Care Crafts to provide a little fun for older patrons who might be living with a cognitive impairment. “Memory games for people living with dementia or other mild cognitive impairments has shown to boost brain health over time while also providing a creative outlet and help strengthen social connections,” White pro- vided.
The Memory Care Crafts started in January of 2022, with the first monthly craft being mem-
ory books. White provided the materials to complete the books as well as different tools to deco- rate them with. The purpose of the memory books was to help the caretakers because older people with cognitive impairments can use memory books to help with things like schedules, activities they enjoy, as well as people and
places they know. Memory books have always been a helpful tool in caregivers assisting the people they help out on a daily basis. “It’s like a scrapbook with a more prac- tical side,” White told me. And with patrons being free to deco- rate them however they want, it without a doubt made for a fun craft. It was no wonder the mem- ory books were a huge success. White informed me that she had made ten packs of the materials, and they were all gone in about 48 hours.
In February, they did home- made music shakers. There has been a lot of talk and studies that music can be therapeutic for people with Alzheimer’s and De- mentia in a variety of ways, so the shakers proved to be beneficial for
the patrons. White does an out- standing job of looking for crafts that can be helpful for people with cognitive impairments.
Becky informed me that she puts a lot of planning into each monthly craft and has them planned up until June, with more ideas to come. For example, they will be doing match and sort pic- ture cards in March, April will be play-dough cutouts, and May will be a sharpie mug craft. These ac- tivities will be available on a first- come-first-serve basis. There’s something for all of the patrons of Pease Public Library, and they can go and know that there will be something fun and entertaining waiting for them no matter how old they are!
fund-raising activities. Monthly business meetings with speakers are held from September to May. Yearly dues are $15. For ques- tions, please email: hebronwom- ensgroup@gmail.com.
Memory Care Crafts At Pease Public Library
HAWGS Meeting March 17th
17th, from 12:00-2:00. Attend- ees may bring their own lunch while desserts and hot drinks will be provided. After lunch and a business meeting, there will be a presentation by the Lakes Re-
gion Conservation Trust. Speak- ers will be Don Berry, President, and Martha Twombley, Board of Trustees. The meeting will be held in the Community Hall, located in the lower level of the
Union Congregational Church in Hebron.
HAWGS is a social club of local area women focused on supporting our community and local charities through various
Give a Child a Chance at a Brighter Future
BE A CASA VOLUNTEER
You can make a life-changing difference for a child in your community who experienced abuse or neglect. Volunteers are needed now in your region.
Virtual info session March 23 Register at casanh.org/infosessions