Libraries have enormous potential to support people with dementia and their carers, and demand for dementia-friendly library services is only likely to increase in the future as the numbers of people affected by dementia rise and there is greater emphasis on community-based care. Taking action to create a dementia-friendly library can initially feel like a massive undertaking, but small changes can make a big difference.

Supporting People to Live Well with Dementia describes how to effectively develop, promote and evaluate services for people with dementia. It provides readers with an understanding of the different ways in which library customers may be affected by dementia, and an appreciation of some of the ways they can continue to contribute positively to their communities. It then suggests ways in which libraries can better support people with dementia and their carers through approaches to customer service, design, resources, reading interventions, online provision and a range of other activities that promote more positive and inclusive attitudes towards people living with dementia amongst library staff, customers and communities more widely.

Table of Contents:

Introduction What is dementia? Types of dementia Stages of dementia Understanding dementia Potential impacts on the use of library services Person-centred care Conclusions Supporting people living with dementia and their carers Social model of disability Supporting library customers with dementia and their carers Support for library staff affected by dementia Training opportunities Conclusions Library design and environment Finding the library Getting around the library Case studies of dementia-friendly library design Sensory spaces Conclusion: maintaining dementia-friendly library design Reading and Dementia Dementia and imagination Dementia-friendly reading materials Reading activities for people with dementia and carers Conclusions Health, social and arts activities Health and therapy-informed activities Activities supporting social connections Arts-related activities Conclusions Digital and online provision Online activity provision for people with dementia Other technologies for people with dementia Online provision for carers Conclusions Partnership working General partnership schemes Library-specific partnership schemes Conclusions Communications and marketing Language and terminology Design of communications materials Working with the media and other partners Conclusions Evaluation and service development Key concepts Recruiting participants Evaluation and research methods Ethics Conclusions Future Trends Demographic changes Changes in care provision Conclusion: future library provision for people with dementia and their carers Summary: Ten actions for dementia-friendly libraries