Serving Patrons with Dementia RAILS Networking Group Meeting

Meeting of the minds to discuss programs and services libraries offer to people with dementia and Alzheimer's disease.

Growth of the Age 85 and Older Population The number of Americans in their 80s, 90s and beyond is expected to grow dramatically due to the aging of the large baby-boom cohort. This will lead to an increase in the number and percentage of Americans 85 and older. Between now and 2050, this age group is expected to comprise an increasing proportion of the U.S. population age 65 and older — from 11% in 2023 to 22% in 2050. This will result in an additional 12 million people age 85 and older— individuals at the highest risk for developing Alzheimer’s dementia. • In 2023, about 2.4 million people who have Alzheimer’s dementia are age 85 or older, accounting for 33% of all people with Alzheimer’s dementia. • By 2060, 6.7 million people age 85 and older are expected to have Alzheimer’s dementia, accounting for about half (48%) of all people 65 and older with Alzheimer’s dementia. ~2023 Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures Special Report.

Libraries and librarians need to ask themselves:
1) How does this increasing demographic affect our library and community?
2) How do we serve this growing population?

The group of librarians, managers, and support staff are dedicated to bringing services and information together to meet the unique needs of serving the caregivers and those suffering with dementia and Alzheimer's. We meet to share programming ideas, collection development ideas, marketing tips, and ways to partner with community organizations.

Topics include:
*what libraries are currently offering to those with dementia
*possible library programs and services to those with dementia
*sharing experiences about how we can or how we already serve this population