Reminiscence (including life story work and
memory boxes)
People with dementia can often remember the distant past more easily
than recent events.
Activities focusing on reminiscence can help improve mood and wellbeing,
and promotes social inclusion and seeing the person as an individual with a
unique life experience. It is a good way of helping relatives and friends stay
connected as well.
There are many ways to initiate conversation and participation in
reminiscence, including using photos, creating a life story book or using
technology, for example watching memorable events (such as the Olympics, a
royal wedding or the moon landings) on a computer or handheld device.
Reminiscence should focus on the individual and their experiences; a
person's memories will have helped shape their present identity. However, it
should be noted that not everyone will enjoy reminiscing about the past.
The following suggestions for reminiscence activities may be helpful:
·
Involve
the person with dementia. It is their life history and talking about it
together will be beneficial.
·
Tangible
items are an effective way of triggering memories. These could be photos or objects
with significance to the person such as a football or quilt.
·
Make up
a 'memory box', life story book or an attractive display board that captures
important elements of the person's life. Physically handling things may trigger
memories more effectively than looking at pictures.
·
A visit
to a favourite place might also prompt happy memories and provide another
opportunity to get out and about.
·
Dementia
damages the memory, and the thinking and reasoning parts of the brain, but
emotions remain intact. It is not necessarily a bad thing if the person becomes
emotional, although you may uncover painful memories as well as happy ones.
Make sure you acknowledge someone's feelings and allow them to express
themselves.
·
Avoid
asking very specific questions that require factual responses and could put the
person under pressure, for example, asking where and when a photo was taken.
The main aim is to enjoy the memories rather than to make the person feel
tested in any way.
·
It is
important to show a genuine interest in what the person is saying and value
their story.
·
Stimulating
all a person's senses is important, as is using verbal and non-verbal
communication.
·
Reminiscence
may uncover other unknown activities or interests that the person has
previously enjoyed.
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