“Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory.” – Dr. Seuss
Memories are the glue that binds together our past with who we are today; and for someone with Alzheimer’s disease, confusion around these memories can have a powerful impact. One of our senior dementia care goals for individuals diagnosed with Alzheimer’s is to help them store and share memories in order to make sense of day to day life.
A wonderful method to accomplish this is through the creation of a memory book, which includes photos and brief descriptions to refer back to when a senior has questions relating to his/her identity, loved ones, etc. Memory books are perfect for responding to repetitive questions as well as for helping to clear any muddied waters. For instance, if a senior asks who his sister is, whether he’s married (and to whom), where he used to live, etc., a simple response of, “Let’s go through the memory book,” could be extremely effective – and, can help with redirection as well for a senior experiencing difficult emotions or behaviors.
The book can (and should) be straightforward and basic. Simply pick out a sturdy binder, photo album, or scrapbook and put one to two pictures on each page, with a short description underneath. Include such details as:
- Close friends and family, including those from the senior’s childhood, whenever possible
- The senior’s workplace
- Milestones and special events
- Interests/hobbies
- Pets
- Previous homes
- Etc.
You may also set up separate sections for each category, to make it quicker to find a particular picture when desired. For a far more elaborate or extensive book, you can utilize this template, selecting which pages you wish to include that will be most helpful for your senior loved one.
For additional creative dementia care tips and resources, call Seniorcorp at 757-640-0557. We’re also pleased to offer a free of cost in-home assessment to share more about how we can help with the specific challenges your senior loved one is facing. Our highly trained, compassionate senior dementia care providers can:
- Improve socialization
- Offer creative approaches to manage challenging behaviors
- Ensure safety in showering/bathing, dressing, etc. along with reducing fall risk
- Provide trusted respite care for family caregivers to take some time for self-care
- Engage seniors in enjoyable, meaningful activities
- Assist with preparing meals, feeding, and clean-up
- Run errands, such as picking up prescriptions and groceries
- And so much more
Reach out to our specialists in Alzheimer’s and hospice care in Chesapeake today to discover a higher quality of life for a senior loved one you adore. For a full list of all of the communities we serve and more information on our senior services in Chesapeake, VA and the nearby areas, please visit our Service Area page.
