‘Working To be Dementia Friendly’, is a category of Alzheimers NZ’s Dementia Friendly Recognition Programme (DFRP), which formally recognises businesses and organisations that become more inclusive of people experiencing dementia.

The libraries’ team leader, learning and heritage, Janina Good, said it’s a natural fit for libraries to become dementia friendly, especially in the Waimakariri district, which has an older population.

“Libraries are often the hub of a community and many communities around New Zealand have rapidly aging populations.

“It makes perfect sense for us all to be more aware of dementia’s impacts, and more aware of how to better interact and support people living with dementia and their care partners.”

The libraries began their formal Working To Be Dementia Friendly journey just six months ago.

Janina and her team created bespoke initiatives for their older library users – shared reading groups and their Suitcase Full of Memories collection – and she says staff at the libraries embraced the dementia friendly journey enthusiastically.

“We have a large team of staff who all got behind the programme and have since become Dementia Friends - that’s part of the reason we were able to complete it so quickly.  Our whole team embraced this kaupapa.”

All new staff who join the libraries also now sit the Dementia Friends online certification course as part of their induction.

“It’s beautiful to see so many of our library-using community so engaged and uplifted and we’ve had great feedback from our wider library whānau,” Janina says.

Waimakariri Libraries are the seventh library group in New Zealand to be formally recognised as Working To Be Dementia Friendly, and Alzheimers NZ chief executive, Catherine Hall, is excited and pleased they chose to take up the challenge.

“We all need to do more and better for our elderly, especially those living with dementia and their care partners, and I applaud the fact Waimakariri Libraries is doing their bit.”