Using Magazines to Stimulate an Alzheimer’s Patient’s Memory
I often sat with Mother and a magazine. She liked to turn the pages and comment on the pictures. These usually triggered memories and drew upon past knowledge.
“Alaska!” She exclaimed when she still recognized some words. “I always wanted to go there.”
This brought back memories for both of us. I recalled that Mother often remarked, when we were children, that she had a dream of traveling to Alaska. She never did, but she reached the West Coast. She and Father drove across the country to visit us in California when our daughter was born.
“Those are crysanthemums,” she remarked when looking at flowers in another magazine. “I carried those at my wedding.”
Yes, at her November wedding, Mother and her sister (her maid of honor) carried bouquets made from crysanthemums.
Keeping the Alzheimer’s patient’s mind active for as long as you can is important. I found that magazines often helped Mother think of ideas and memories outside her Alzheimer’s world. The staff at the nursing home also read and talked with the Alzheimer’s residents about the pictures and words in magazines.
Tags: Alzheimers, Alzheimers+Disease, caregivers, Caregiving, dementia, memory, memory+lossRelated Stories
POSTED IN: Activities, Care, General, Personal Caregiving Experiences
2 opinions for Using Magazines to Stimulate an Alzheimer’s Patient’s Memory
David
Feb 2, 2007 at 9:55 pm
Thanks for sharing your story. My story is listed at the above site.
me
Feb 3, 2007 at 7:06 am
David, thanks for sharing your story about your dad. I think many Alzheimer’s caregivers will relate to your ongoing story as you cope with your dad’s journey through this disease. (I’ll mention David and Joe’s story in a blog post.)
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