Dementia: There's a Human Inside

  Photo by Jeremy Wong on Unsplash. | Photo by  Steven HWG on Unsplash.
   

Do you know what Dementia is? Maybe you know someone with Dementia? Perhaps you have it yourself? What does it truly mean to live with Dementia?

This week, Azure Beach Public Library is hosting an event known as a Human Living Library event. This means, people will be our books! Borrow them and they will have a chance to invite you into their lives and create a respectful, nonjudgemental space. Our theme for this event is Dementia, to align with Dementia Action Week. Our goal is to educate, clarify and gain an understanding for the people and their loved ones, that have dementia in their lives. 

Where: Library Courtyard, Azure Beach Public Library

44 Lighting Way, Azure Beach NSW 2100

When: 21st & 22nd of September, 2023

Time: 11am to 3pm

 To register, book your eTicket here or please phone us on  (02) 9717 #### or email us at hello@azurebeachpubliclibrary.gov.au.

We hope to see you there!

It's our chance to breakdown barriers and show everyone that sufferers of dementia are still human; they're still the people we know and love. This is their chance to share their experiences and to let others know, that they are impacted too. Come on down to show your support, gain insight and learn a thing or two that you may not have already known.

Want to know more? Click this link to find out about the Human Living Library movement!

Need more dementia information? You can find it at Dementia Australia and their library guide.

 

-by Hayley Morales.

Dementia Action Week - A Human Library Event (By Paul Thornhill)

                                                        Knowledge Through Experience

Azure Beach Public Library is proud to announce that it will be hosting a 'Human Library' event for Dementia Action Week to be held on Wednesday 26th of September 2024 in the Main Library's Courtyard (102 Beach Road Azure Beach) from 10am to 2pm, all are welcome.

Bookings are essential and can be made by:

* email at azurebeachlibrary@nsw.org.au

* Phone: 02 9726 0007

*In person at the library

What is a 'Human Library' event? 

A human library event is where you borrow people as books. That is, you make a booking with a person or human book and get to have a conversation with them about their life and experiences, and thus like the theme of our event based on understanding dementia, gain 'Knowledge Through Experience', namely the knowledge of that human book's experiences with dementia.

The 'Human Library' project, where the concept was first started in Denmark in the year 2000, aims to provide a safe place for dialogue, where difficult but important questions about humanity can be asked and answered. For more information, please visit their website on the following link: Unjudge someone - The Human Library Organization

What is Dementia Action Week?

Dementia Action Week is an annual event put on by Dementia Australia to raise awareness about dementia in the community in order to make a more tolerant and friendly society. For more information visit their website : Dementia Action Week | Dementia Australia

It is also an event that Azure Beach Public Library also participates in each year. This year we do so through the Human Library Event.

Our human books include: Dr David Jones (Dementia Specialist Westmead Hospital)

Karen Peters (Dementia Specialist Nurse North Shore Private Hospital)

Warren Smith (Living with dementia)

Alice Harwood (Living with dementia),

John Adams (Community Outreach Officer),

Lilly James (Home Carer Worker)

Jackson Rogers (Living with dementia) 

and Barbara Waters (Relative of a person with dementia)

Azure Beach Public Library hopes to see you at the event, make a booking today and gain Knowledge Through Experience'

Blog Post created by Paul Thornhill (Thursday Class)

Memory Disorder

 Memory Disorder

Human memory is precious. It’s captured in our brain and allows us to recall and draw it out when we need it. What happens if one day that simple action is not as simple and easy as it was? Panic! That’s for sure. Dementia is not just about memory loss, but it also changes the person’s behaviour. It changes the way you live and also the people around you.

If you want to know more about dementia and get insight from people who live with dementia, this Human Library event may be the right option for you. The Human Library is a global innovative and hands-on learning platform. It offers you to learn from the first hands by having conversation with people as the books. To know more about The Human Library, please check out this link https://humanlibrary.org/about/

In this Human Library event we are offering six ‘titles’ for you to find out more about dementia.

Choose one of the titles below:

• Understanding changes in behaviour.

• How to communicate to people suffering from dementia.

• Activities at home.

• Living with early onset dementia.

• Family members caring for those with early onset dementia.

• Creating a dementia-friendly home.

Save the date!

 DATE: 19 September 2024

 TIME: 12:00 - 15:00

VENUE: Azure Beach Library – Azure Room

 

It’s a FREE event, but bookings are recommended.

Phone: 0441 999 000

 Emailing: libraryevents@azurebeachlibrary.com.au

 Booking online: www.azurebeachlibraryevents/booking.com

Please note that this event is aimed for audience 18+.

 

For further information about the event, please visit our library website.

 https://www.azurebeachlibrary/index.html

To learn more about dementia and get help, please visit:

• Dementia Australia: https://www.dementia.org.au/
• Dementia Training Australia: https://dta.com.au/
  
• Dementia Support Australia: https://www.dementia.com.au/

Labels:

#humanlibrary

#ABPLevents

#DementiaAustralia

#talkdementia

#DementiaActionWeek

#supportdementia

#ItStartsWithYou

Julianti

Do "Mentian" It! Human Library Event

 Do "Mentian" It!

Human Library Event

When:  Monday 19^th September 2022

            10:00am-11:30am

            44 Lighting Way, Azure Beach NSW 2100

In line with Dementia Action Week, Azure Beach Public Library has partnered with Dementia Australia to host a human library event.

What is a human library?

Human libraries are designed to create a dialogue, promote understanding, and reduce prejudice. The ‘books’ are people from all walks of life and readers can ‘borrow’ them for up to 30 minutes to have a conversation and ask questions. For more information, visit https://humanlibrary.org/.

Take action

In 2022, it was reported that up to 487, 500 Australians are living with dementia. With that number expected to increase in the upcoming years, it's up to us to arm our community with the knowledge they need and to clear up some misconceptions about dementia by talking to our 'books'.

Our books:

Living with dementia

  

Alison

David

Caring for someone with dementia

Emily

Brian

For more information, contact our program coordinator (Georgia Tzamouranis) on (02) 9171 1677 or email us at events@azurebeachpubliclibrary.gov.au

Human Living Library: Mind Matters

When:     Tuesday 20 September 2022, 

                10:00am – 1:00pm

Join us this September for our monthly Human Living Library: Mind Matters series coinciding with Dementia Action Week.

Impacting close to half a million Australians, dementia is set to double in the next 25 years. Following diagnosis, people living with dementia can lead fulfilling and active lives for many years. Despite this, they often experience discrimination with a recent survey conducted by Dementia Australia finding more than 60% of people believe this is a common or very common experience.*

Dementia doesn't discriminate. Do you?

With so many affected now and into the future, we need to change the way we respond and behave towards people in our lives and community living with dementia. This event will help clear up some of the prevailing misconceptions and stereotypes about dementia, by providing an opportunity to increase understanding through conversations with our human ‘books’.

How does it work?

Based on the Human Library aims to increase understanding of diversity to help create more inclusive communities, this event will feature a number of ‘books’ you can ‘borrow’ for a 30-minute conversation. Listen to their story, ask questions, and help put an end to stereotypes, prejudice and discrimination!

Meet our books:

Brian was diagnosed with Younger Onset Dementia and

keeps his mind active through art and music.

Gwen is the partner and carer of Jack, and is keen to share the
many positive aspects of caring for someone with dementia.

Margaret is a former teacher and is passionate about

debunking the myth that dementia is just about memory loss.

Susan, an outreach nurse with Mid North Coast Regional Health,
can provide information on dementia and navigating the medical
system when seeking a diagnosis.

With Azure Beach's ageing population, now is a great time for our seniors and wider community to increase awareness, create connections, and provide opportunities for those with dementia to remain engaged with our vibrant community. Help us make that happen by borrowing a human 'book' this September! 

Where:    Cove Meeting Room, 

                Azure Beach Public Library

When:     Tuesday 20 September 2022, 

                10:00am – 1:00pm

Cost:       Free, light refreshments provided 

For more information contact the Azure Beach Public Library on (02) 9898 #### or email events@azurebeachpl.nsw.gov.au

* Dementia Action Week Discrimination Survey 2019

_______________

Photographs sourced from Dementia Australia: Personal stories. Names and details may have been changed from those on the website for the purpose of this blog post, which was written to fulfil assessment requirements for TAFE NSW. Graphics sourced from Dementia Australia: Download and share and Dementia Australia: Discrimination survey results.
Anne Coates

"Forget Me Not” – Human Library Event

Have you ever found yourself gazing at a stranger and thinking "if I could read your mind, what a tale your thoughts would tell"? There is a rich collection of stories in each of us and ABPL is celebrating our community stories by hosting a human library event. This will be a chance for people to loan out people as "books" and discover their stories. To find out more information about human libraries visit https://www.humanlibraryaus.org

As part of dementia action week our "books" will be people in the early stages of dementia. The event aims to educate people about dementia, challenge our preconceived notions of this condition, and learn every day acts of kindness that make a meaningful difference for this marginalised group. To learn more about dementia visit https://www.dementia.org.au

Event date: 3 September 2022 and 4 September 2022

Event times: 11 am to 4 pm

Event location: Azure Beach Public library (Open space seating areas)

CLICK HERE FOR BOOKINGS

(Please note bookings secure 30 minute time slots)

Meet Our "Books"

We advise patrons that our books have been de-identified for privacy reasons.

Manjula

"Cooking was my passion, but these days I can get confused, I can still cook but I just need a little help..."

George

"I used to be a nurse, but lately I spend a lot of time gardening. Sometimes I'll see strange creatures visiting me in my garden…"

Muhammad

"I was heartbroken when I lost my ability to read. But I'm lucky because my partner makes time to read to me. It's like going on a tiny adventure with him…"

Akari

"It was hard accepting all the help at first. But I'm realising more and more that care-work shouldn't be an individual burden. It's a collective responsibility. I personally feel so joyful when I get to help somebody…"

#ShowFairnessWithAwareness

In conjunction with Dementia Australia for Dementia Action Week....

A Human Library is coming to Azure Beach Public Library!

Monday, 18th September 2023 at 11am in the Library Courtyard.

Would you like to know more?

The Human Library project began in Copenhagen with a youth organization called Stop the Violence.  In a Human Library, the “books” are people. These people are like you and me – their stories are real and are shared to fight prejudice and bring about compassion and understanding. Our Human “books” are people who have experienced discrimination, bias, shame, or humiliation. They want to tell their story in a safe place and bring about change in others’ views.

How does it work?

The Library has a collection of 4 human “books”. These 4 books are people who are living with dementia. Their journeys have all been different, but together they want to demonstrate how they can still live active and fulfilling lives. These “books” can be checked out for a 30-minute conversation. There are sample questions to get things moving, and a Code of Conduct to keep things safe and respectful.

About Dementia Action Week:

Dementia affects around half a million people in Australia. This number is set to double in the next 25 years. The campaign provides information and tips to encourage all Australians to increase their understanding of dementia and learn how they can make a difference in the lives of people around them who are impacted – and to help eliminate discrimination.

 

To find out more about this event contact the Azure Beach Public Library on: 02 9837 1432 or email: ABPLevents@nsw.gov.au

This is a free event, but bookings are essential. Bookings can be made via EventBrite: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/

To find out more about dementia: https://www.dementia.org.au/ or the Dementia Australia Hotline: 1800 100 500.  

Human Library. 2019. Human Library [image]. Retrieved 16th June 2022 from / https://humanlibrary.org/

Dementia Australia. 2022. Dementia Australia [image]. Retrieved 16th June 2022 from https://www.dementia.org.au/

Azure Beach Public Library. n.d. Azure Beach Public Library [image]. Retrieved 16th June from https://share.tafensw.edu.au/share/file/b5b52f4b-216b-473a-bf3e-60658163ef7a/1/ABPL_Risk-Management-Plan.pdf

Melyssa D'Heureux (Mary Anderson's Online Class)