Memory Books - High Tech and Low Tech

| Sunday, April 17, 2011
By Justine Sanderstine


There is no doubt that one of life's greatest gifts is the memories we hold dear. Unfortunately, dementia can begin to rob of these memories, leaving us confused and bewildered.

Finding new ways to enhance our memories can help us to function better in our daily lives and enjoy the security and comfort of these memories. I'd like to focus on just two of the many memory aids available. The first is very high-tech, pricey and not yet released to the general public. The other is definitely low tech, available right now and has minimal cost.

A New Tech Solution

A gentleman at Microsoft Research has developed a memory aid called SenseCam that has possible benefits for those with dementia. It is a wearable digital camera that takes continuous photographs while being worn without any interaction of the user.

Test subjects have been given the SenseCam and asked to wear it whenever they want help in remembering the events of the day. After the event, the test subject was able to view the images repeatedly. The subjects were able to recall up to 90% of the events after the numerous viewings. Even after the trial concluded, they appeared to retain a lasting ability to recall events. Equally promising are the results seen of subjects suffering from Alzheimer's disease.

The camera's images are stores as files on a flash sized memory card that can hold more than 30,000 images. These images are adequate to hold an image of every 30 seconds for two waking weeks. The images are then downloaded to a PC and can be viewed on a television monitor that is connected to the personal computer.Additional studies are currently underway due to the amazing results seen thus far.

An Old Tech Solution

Here's another solution that is available right now and is a "do it with love" project that can be a shared project of family and friends. This idea uses those Grandparents Brag Photo Books that are available at local discount stores. The cost is usually under a dollar each. A 4" x 6" photo is inserted into every other page of the photo book. Across from the photo, instead of inserting another photo, take a 4" x 6" piece of paper and write a description telling all about the picture. Be sure to include the date, the full name of the people in the picture and a little bit about who they are, where they are and what was happening in the picture. Keeping one theme for each photo book makes it convenient for the recipient to enjoy the memories without being overwhelmed by all of them at once.

Examples of Photo Books my mother has enjoyed are as follows:

1) One photo book from each of her grown children. Pictures showing the family, the home and the pets are included. Each photo has a note card with all the relevant information across from the image.

2) One photo book includes basic pictures and facts of my Mother's life. Pictures from her birth right up to current pictures are included, along with the commentary including names, dates, places, etc. Pictures of her & dad along with the children throughout the years are also included. She even has a picture of my father's grave along with brief facts about his passing. Though it brings back bittersweet memories, this is one of her much loved pictures.

3) After suffering a minor stroke and addition memory loss, a new photo book was prepared to help her transition to her new Assisted Living Facilities. The book includes the date she moved, the name, address and telephone number of the facility and the reason she moved.. Picture of her with her new caregivers are plainly marked with the caregivers names. There are a number of additional notes included that tell her what she can expect in her new home. She finds it very comforting and reads it whenever she's confused.

4) A photo book that includes pictures of her old church, her priest and some of her church friends is another favorite. In the notes, I repeated some of the kind words of her priest. These words and pictures have brought her much comfort in the last year.There's no shortage of gadgets you can buy, and some of them may help. Still, there's no substitute for the memory aid that is put together by the loving hands of family or friends.




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