Aging populations are increasing, as is the number of persons affected with memory loss — approximately 5 million Americans live with Alzheimer's. Assisted living centers struggle with identifying and offering experiential and engaging learning programs for residents who are struggling with memory care, Alzheimer’s or dementia. With multiple assisted living centers (all with memory care divisions) in proximity to our branches, there was an obvious need to bring library services to those who are not able to come to us.

Library team members offer music and movement programs in memory care sections of assisted living centers. Focusing on rhythm and movement, rhyme and song, with elements of images, residents participate in whatever ways they can — some clap along, mouth lyrics, sing or dance, and many of them smile. Remembering can be tiring, hard work. Incorporating music facilitates connecting. Residents make up stories using the images and cite poems in call and response style, often clapping along with the rhythm.

Each of the assisted living centers have emphatically embraced the program and there has been increasing demand in surrounding areas of the county we serve as word of the program has spread. The developers of this program have presented at conferences to encourage others to create and offer similar programming to address the need and to connect with this amazing population in their communities. Libraries provide a unique/niche service to this aging population — if we don't provide the service, it may not happen.