Spominčica - Alzheimer Slovenija has conducted a survey among people with dementia and their relatives, looking at their needs, problems encountered, and lack of services during the COVID19 lockdown. The main thing that became clear, reports Spominčica, was the lack of and need for social interaction, as well as tips and advice to overcome day-to-day challenges. For this reason, the organisation decided to strengthen its telephone advice service. Each day Spominčica provides tips for caregivers online and has opened the “Library under the Treetops” in Ljubljana, in June 2020. The organisation is happy and encouraged to be able to socialise and be outdoors as much as possible, with this new initiative.
The library will be open every weekday between 10am and 2pm, with interesting and diverse workshops planned to take place on a weekly basis, with well-known Slovenian writers. “We are transforming the shadows of cities into islands of free reading, places of inspiration and encounter!” says Spominčica. In the small park outside the organisation’s office, everyone can find a good book and read it in peace. The opening event was enriched with music and welcome speeches were given by Štefanija L. Zlobec, president of Spominčica and Gaja Naje Rojec, the representative of the Divja Misel Institute, which coordinates the Library under the Treetops network.
