Try This Creative and Effective Dementia Care Idea: A Memory Book
A memory book is a great tool for dementia senior care.
“Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory.” – Dr. Seuss
Memories are what bind together our past experiences with who we are today; and for a person with dementia, confusion around these memories may have a powerful impact. One of our goals in providing dementia care for seniors is to help them keep and share memories in order to make sense of daily life.
A wonderful way to help with this is through the creation of a memory book, which includes photographs and short descriptions to refer back to when an older adult has questions relating to his or her identity, friends and family, etc. Memory books are great for answering repeated questions as well as for helping to clear any muddied waters. For example, if an older adult asks who his sister is, whether he’s married (and to whom), where he used to live, etc., a simple response of, “Let’s look at the memory book,” can be very effective – and, can help with redirection as well for a senior experiencing difficult emotions or behaviors.
The book can (and should) be basic and straightforward. Simply select a sturdy binder, photo album, or scrapbook and place 1 or 2 photos on each page, with a brief description underneath. Include details such as:
- Close family and friends, including those from the senior’s childhood, if at all possible
- The older adult’s workplace
- Special events and milestones
- Hobbies/interests
- Pets
- Previous homes
- And more
You could set up separate sections for each category, so it will be quicker to locate a particular photo when desired. For a more extensive or elaborate book, you can use the template found here , identifying which pages you want to include that’ll be most helpful for your senior loved one.
For more creative Alzheimer’s resources and care tips, call Responsive Home Care, the leading provider of elderly home care in Fort Lauderdale and nearby areas, at (954) 486-6440. We are also pleased to offer a no-cost in-home assessment to share more about how we can help with the particular challenges your senior loved one is facing. Our highly trained, compassionate dementia care team can:
- Improve socialization
- Offer creative approaches to manage difficult behaviors
- Ensure safety in bathing/showering, dressing, etc. in addition to reducing fall risk
- Provide trusted relief care for family caregivers to take time for self-care
- Engage older adults in meaningful, enjoyable activities
- Assistance with preparing meals and clean-up
- Run errands, such as picking up prescriptions and groceries
- And so much more
Reach out to Responsive Home Care, the experts in home care in Hollywood, FL and surrounding areas, to discover an increased quality of life for a senior you love with trusted, personalized home care services.
