By Jane Verity ©Dementia Care International
1. Avoid saying, ‘Do you remember?’
2. Always tell a story about the event that you’d like the person to remember.
3. Weave word pictures into your story with unusual, colourful, humorous and sensory illustrations.
4. Give the person time to recognise the event and to contribute his or her personal experiences to the story.
5. Tell the person at every opportunity:
- ‘Your memory gets better every day.’
- ‘It’s easy for you to remember anything you want to.’
6. Boost the person’s self-esteem.
7. Remember: stress is the number one enemy of memory.
8. To avoid creating stress:
- Accept the person and situations as they are.
- Appreciate that things take time.
9. Nurture the brain:
- Drink 8 glasses of water each day.
- Get plenty of fresh air and exercise.
- Take in lots of daylight.
10. Laugh long, hard and often!
For further reading – Click topic
- How to Improve Memory – Jane Verity (Read Jane’s full article to learn further tips on improving recall; the value of repeated reinforcement in aiding memory recall; hints to creating a stress free environment plus simple tips for boosting self-esteem.)
- Remember that Smell – E. Joy Bowles BSc. – (Smells induce memories; read how messages from the olfactory nerves are processed along with emotional and other sensory information that is stored as memories, plus how aromas that are linked with physical responses are known as “odour conditioning”.)
- How can Aromatherapy Help People with Dementia? – E. Joy Bowles BSc. (Joy’s article reveals how the ‘sense of smell is non-verbal and can “get through” to emotions when words fail’, plus how smells can help remind a person with dementia of happy times and bring memories to mind.)
- Gardens – A visual, sensory and memory delight – E. Joy Bowles BSc. (Read how particular plants can stimulate memories of meals, gardens and people.)
- Brahmi – The Traditional Ayurvedic Brain Tonic – Dr Ruth Cilento – (world-renowned holistic medical practitioner and author of Heal Cancer and Age without Alzheimer’s shares how Brahmi improves learning processes and memory; how it works; who can benefit; why brahmi is particularly therapeutic for the elderly, plus more on its health benefits.)
- Gingko Biloba – Dr Ruth Cilento – (world-renowned holistic medical practitioner and author of Heal Cancer and Age without Alzheimer’s explains the many healing properties of Gingko Biloba, its positive effects on memory and learning abilities and for arresting symptoms of dementia.
Relevant Resources:
10 Top Memory Tactics – A3 poster – featuring the above memory tactics displayed in a colourful poster – Visit our Product Page to order