What Memory Boxes Do For People With Dementia
For those living with Alzheimers disease, dementia, or other forms of memory loss, a memory box can function as more than just a link to the past. It can stimulate the senses, trigger recall, or even help your loved one make new friends.
Filled with items such as family photos, postcards, newspaper clippings, or souvenirs, a memory box paints a picture of a persons past. They can take many forms. Imagination is your only limit. Was your loved one an avid musician or maybe a basketball fanatic? Consider including an instrument or old jersey. The goal is to create a reflection of your loved ones identity, and the benefits can be far-reaching.
Provide Sensory Stimulation
Memory boxes packed with items your loved one can touch, read, smell, or even listen to engages the senses and the result can be highly beneficial. Flipping through old photos or busting out a tune on that old harmonica enlivens the senses. It can boost mood and self-confidence by stirring feelings of familiarity. Weve all been transported back in time when a familiar song comes on the radio or we smell a particular food that reminds us of our childhood.
Encourage Memory Recall
A memory box is a link to your loved ones past. Their treasured mementos can help draw out fond memories and reconnect your loved one to their interests and identity. Those connections can do wonders for their sense of self-worth.
Start Conversation
Offer Opportunity to Learn Your Loved Ones Past
The Purpose Of Memory Boxes
Memory boxes can be used in both an individual context and in group activities as well. The items are used to engage older people and to stimulate reminiscence and discussion. The objects can also be used in communicating with older people, encouraging them to tell stories or share their memories about the items. Often the memories and the activity of reminiscing are calming for someone who may be distressed. Correspondingly, not all memories are positive and some innocent prompts may be quite distressing to some individuals who have experienced trauma.
Memory Box Created By You For Your Family
Life isnt always fair, and many of us suffer from a terminal illness. And while we can be bitter about it, that, unfortunately, doesnt help. What would help a lot, and make a difference in the lives of your family members is to create your own memory box they could remember you by.
This could be therapeutic for you as you think of all the special memories you made with your family. As you go through your last stages of life, this activity will provide you closure, knowing your family will feel your love long after youre gone.
If you have children, this type of memory box is even more important, as their minds are not fully developed and they might have a harder time remembering. A book you read together, lotion or perfume you often wear, pictures of activities you did together, and even crafts they made for you, are all good candidates for this remembrance box. Add a note with each item about the occasion. This will jog the childs memory even years after it happened.
Do you have something special for them? Maybe a piece of jewelry? Or a watch? That would be a very special memory of you that they could wear daily or on special occasions.
Other items you might add to your box could be:
Creating a memory box can be a very emotional experience. You may be overcome with sadness at times. If you need to, take a break. Come back after a day or two after you feel better.
This process will also bring satisfaction, as you reflect on your own memories.
Don’t Miss: How Close Is A Cure For Alzheimer’s
Memory Training Apps For Alzheimers Patients
The memory impairment of Alzheimers disease cant be halted. However, the degenerative effects of the disease can be slowed through mental exercises. These tools are aimed at people who are in the early stages of Alzheimers. Some of these apps provide day-to-day support as well as memory training, while others entertain as they train.
Here are the six best memory training apps:
Icipant Characteristics And Intergroup Differences
Participant characteristics are presented in Table . The study participants had a mean age of 64.3 years and roughly three quarters had completed secondary education . No significant differences were observed between groups stratified by BIN1 status. When stratified by APOE 4 status, 4 carriers were found to be younger than non-carriers and had a slightly higher MMSE score .
Table 1 Demographic characteristics of the study participants. Data are presented as mean or n.
Recommended Reading: Gps Tracking For Dementia Patients
Themed Sensory Memory Boxes
Themed sensory memory boxes are a simple, fun and engaging way for family members and friends to maintain strong personal connections with their loved ones with Alzheimers. What is a themed sensory memory box? As the name implies, it is a box or container of some sort with various items associated with a theme such as a holiday, one of the four seasons, favorite hobbies, a birthday or other special events. The items selected should stimulate one or more of the five senses: sight, hearing, touch, taste, or smell. Handling the different items of varying textures, smells or sounds can help spark fond memories and facilitate conversations between you and your loved one. The benefits of sensory boxes include improved mood and self- esteem, a greater degree of relaxation and creativity, and increased social interaction.
Origins And Direction Of The Music Memory Box
Studio Meinecks Founding Director, Chloe Meineck, conceived of the idea of the Music Memory Box when saw how music transformed the quality of life and happiness of an elderly loved one with dementia. The design of the Music Memory Box helped Meineck become a finalist in the National Dementia Care awards of 2015. The Music Memory Box was deemed one of the most innovative products that year.
The Music Memory Box is equipped with eight RFID stickers, allowing eight objects to be attached to music upon purchase. More can be purchased later. Attaching the music to a memento is not difficult and is mainly a matter of uploading music files onto a USB stick, which is then inserted into the Music Memory Box triggering instructions on how to proceed.
Music Memory Boxes are not yet on the market. Meineck intends to launch a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter in March 2017 and use the funding to manufacture the first run of the Boxes.
Interested persons should look for the launch in March 2017 and stay informed at www.studiomeineck.com/music-memory-box/. Subscribing to the companys newsletter will keep one abreast of developments. Meineck promises rewards for those who give donations, including serving as test cases in use of the box and for being one of the first to receive a box.
Studio Meineck. . Retrieved 01/25/2017.
Read Also: How To Know What Stage Of Dementia
Memory Box For Alzheimer’s Patients
Attorney at Troyer & Good, PC
Alzheimers disease affects a persons memory and thinking. It is the most common form of dementia and affects over 5 million Americans. If you or a loved one is dealing with Alzheimers disease, you may find that a memory box can help. Memory boxes help those with Alzheimers disease recall events and people from the past. It can stimulate memories and encourage conversation with loved ones. Memory boxes can also help link a person to their identity, lifting their spirits.
While creating a memory box for your loved one with Alzheimers will take time and effort, here are five reasons why its worth it:
Hard And Soft Boundaries
The researchers conducting the study were operating under the existing memory framework of boundariesthe idea that memories can have hard and soft starting and ending points. Think of hard boundaries as a file folder and soft boundaries as the files inside. A hard-boundary memory might be the fireworks show at last years Fourth of July celebration, and soft-boundary memories would be the different fireworks and people you saw during that show. Though scientists have studied memory behavior using this framework for quite some time, its unclear how exactly the brain sets these boundaries. Something may have happened to you this morningyou saw somebody in the street, or somebody called to youand that memory might very well last a lifetime. It has permanently modified you, says Ueli Rutishauser Ph.D., a professor of neurosurgery, neurology, and biomedical sciences at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles and a senior investigator in the BRAIN Initiative consortium. We want to figure out how that works and what breaks down when it doesnt work so we can remediate that.
You May Like: What Is The Medical Term For Dementia
Brain Circuits Susceptible To Aging Alzheimers Disease
NIH has awarded a grant to researchers from the University of California, Irvine, to create maps of the brain that identify specific brain cells and circuits related to aging and Alzheimers disease. These findings can hopefully lead to earlier diagnoses and help create new treatments. Find out more about this research.
What To Include In A Memory Box
1. Photographs and newspaper cuttings
Looking at old pictures of friends and family can help to stir happy memories. If a person with dementia is no longer able to use photographs to trigger recognition, then a newspaper cutting featuring a significant or personal event might be better to include. The key theme here is to include something that the person can look at and either read or observe.
2. Body lotion, perfume or bar of soap
The smell of a favourite hand cream or fragrance are ideal items to include in a memory box. The sense of smell is closely linked with memory and is the strongest of the five senses.
3. Music
Whether it be a tape, vinyl or CD, music can be a big help in prompting memories. Play the music and ask the person with dementia if they can remember anything about where they first heard the music and what it means to them.
4. Favourite biscuits
The persons favourite chocolate bar or biscuit, for example, can be a nice reminder of a pastime treat. Taste is also one of our key senses and can help to stimulate different flavours and memories.
5. Mementos and souvenirs
Its important to include a variety of different sized objects and textures nothing too large or heavy, but items that offer a range of different sensations. It could be an object from a previous hobby, such as a cricket ball, or job.
Also Check: How To Stop Dementia Patients From Scratching
Memory Games: Brain Training
Another mind training game set to improve cognitive skills and overcome some of the effects of Alzheimers. The set includes 21 different games, each with increasing levels of complexity. More than one million users have already downloaded this app. It is a good idea to dedicate 2 to 5 minutes on the game every day in order to improve memory.
The Memory Games app is available from to run on Android devices. The basic app is free to use and there are higher paid editions.
What Are The Benefits
Creating a dementia memory box is a simple activity where you can use reminiscence therapy to help your loved one at home. By just sitting down together and exploring a collection of items or images from your loved ones past you can help encourage short-term memories by stimulating long-term ones.
A dementia memory box can also open-up the lines of communication , as well as making your relative feel more at ease and providing an activity that interests them.
Recommended Reading: How To Differentiate Delirium From Dementia
How To Use A Memory Box
Similar to a time capsule, a memory box is designed to be used to help people remember the past. It can be used at anytime and almost anywhere. It can be used when a person may feel agitated or restless to help distract them from other worries, or used to aid with communication. Talk about the items and what memories the objects have for them.
Try to keep a memory box close by, ideally situated in a place that is easily accessible to the individual or group.
If you are using the memory box in a group of people you could take out one item at a time and go around the group asking them individually of a memory they have with the item, how the item was used or if they owned one.
Let us know your thoughts below if you have any hints and tips on making a great memory box
Memory Box To Remember A Loved One You Lost
When you lose someone you love, you are heartbroken. You might feel like youll never recover. But you will. Youll go through the stages fo grief, and eventually will find joy again.
A memory box might help you remember a loved one. Its a safe container where you can contain your grief and open it up whenever you want to. Each time you view your box and explore its contents, you may feel more connected to your loved ones.
Creating a memory box to honor your lost loved one can be a very healing experience. Take plenty of time and care to make it special. This memory box is yours so use your own creativity to decorate it any way you choose.
How to make a memory box
Youll first need to find an empty box. It can be a craft box, shoebox, jewelry box, cigar box, or any other type of container that you wish to use. You may even buy a nice wooden box or get a blanket box at the crafts or discount store.
Once you have finished decorating your box, collect objects that remind you of your loved one. This may include:
- prized possessions that he or she loved
- a favored piece of clothing
- scrapbook with special memories
Visit your memory box whenever you feel the need to reconnect with your lost one.
Much later in your bereavement, you may want to put away your box of special items that bring happy memories to life and store it on a shelf in a closet.
Find comfort by making a tribute scrapbook or grief journal.
Also Check: Alzheimer’s Disease Tests And Diagnostic Tools
Good Reasons For Making A Memory Box
- The senses that are used to create a memory box can help those who are starting to lose their memory
- Fond memories from childhood and youth can be generated
- Memory boxes can be the trigger for the start of a conversation
- Discussing memories can provide insight into a persons life and history
- Memory boxes provide a creative activity which is enjoyable and enlightening.
Items included in a memory box need to be able to trigger a range of different and strong emotions. Focusing on the five senses sight, taste, touch, hearing and smell is a really good way to approach creating a keepsake box for someone who has dementia.
What You Will Need To Make A Memory Box
Its really simple to make. The first consideration is to think about how you are going to contain the items. In other words what kind of box are you going to store the items in.
You could use something as simple as an old shoe box, and old sewing box, a sturdy cardboard box or even an old suitcase. Some memory boxes can be bought. Or you could buy a ready-made memory box as a gift idea.
The box should be sturdy enough to contain the objects and remember if you are using a box made from card or paper then it should be stored away from somewhere that is damp.
You could put in any object that will fit comfortably in the box or container you are using to contain the items. Photos, letters, toys are all good examples of what you could use but try to avoid using precious items or heavy objects.
Read Also: Why Do Alzheimer’s Patients Want To Go Home
Memories And How The Brain Works
This study is looking for participants from the Washington, D.C., metro region. One of the goals of this study is to evaluate how the brain activates and represents memories. Participants will undergo an MRI brain scan and a magnetoencephalography scan while watching videos created in an app called 1 Second Everyday, which uses one-second video snippets to create a longer memory video. Learn more about this study.
A Memory Box For Dementia
by Lisa Krauss | Jun 22, 2022
For those living with Alzheimers, dementia, or other types of memory loss, it can be difficult for them to recall events or people from the past. A Memory Box filled with special keepsakes from past holidays, memorabilia, and souvenirs from special events, along with other significant items from the persons past can help trigger recall and stimulate the senses. It can also provide you a valuable opportunity to learn about your loved ones past.
The Memory Box can link the senior to something they love, or something that makes them feel good about themselves. They can help link a senior to their identity and help them feel connected to the things that they love. It can also help them recall memories of their family, their interests, or just history in general. Memory Boxes also help exercise touch and other senses, which are especially important as Alzheimers and other dementia progress.
To get started with your first Memory Box, its important to first figure out what items will hold special significance for that person. Some things you can include are seashells collected on a vacation, postcards from a treasured vacation, a favorite article of clothing, or a musical instrument. Anything you can think of that means something to the individual. Memories are not just visual, so be sure to try and include items with various scents, sounds and textures.
Recent Posts
Read Also: Does High Cholesterol Cause Alzheimer’s