Memory Kit workshop in Blue Hill -
with a Toolkit to use in your community
Anne Schroth 

Healthy Peninsula, the coordinating agency for Age-Friendly Coastal Communities, recently wrapped up a Dementia Inclusion project on the Blue Hill peninsula that was funded by the UMaine Center on Aging and the Geriatric Workforce Enhancement Program (GWEP).


The project included a community education presentation from Dr. Susan Wehry (GWEP), as well as a hands-on workshop for community members living with dementia and their care partners.

Last December, Dr. Wehry presented “Dementia Inclusivity: What it is, Why it Matters, How to Do It.” In her conversational style, she discussed dementia, how it impacts individuals, their friends and families, and strategies for supporting individuals living with dementia so that they —and their communities—can thrive.  


The presentation helped set the stage for the Memory Kit Workshop that was facilitated by Sonya Bates, Healthy Peninsula’s Dementia Inclusion Fellow.  At the workshop, eight community members enjoyed sharing their experiences, reminiscing, as well as learning about and assembling memory kits.


Memory Kits spark conversation and reminiscence for people living with dementia, memory loss, or cognitive impairment. Items in the kits are chosen to stimulate sensory experiences, such as touch, hearing, sight, and smell. 


Participants were provided with the materials to make a season-themed kit that they took home after the workshop.  Each kit was stored in a clear vinyl tote bag and included: a book of Maine photographs (The Coast of Maine, by Carl Heilman II), a small photo album for their own favorite photos, a seasonal button bottle that they assembled themselves with colorful buttons and evocative charms, seed packets, a mini stuffed animal, a fidget toy, scent bottles (with scents such as lavender, cinnamon, pine, and orange), a reusable word search and a crossword puzzle book.

Following the workshop, Sonya assembled sample memory kits for each of the six libraries in the Age-Friendly Coastal Communities region, along with activity instruction cards and resource materials so that library patrons can make their own kits.


We are grateful to UMaine Center on Aging and GWEP for the opportunity to host such a successful event!  Our Blue Hill Public Library co-host has already asked to continue our partnership on dementia inclusive projects and we are eager to bring similar opportunities to our community in the future.

Toolkit - Host your own Memory Kit Workshop
developed by Sonya Bates