Photographs can inspire strong feelings and memories, invoking deep emotions simply by displaying an image. Whether the photo reminds us of a happy time or a difficult phase, they allow us to revisit important times in our life. While photographs are special to everyone, they can be especially meaningful and powerful for those living with dementia.
Alzheimer’s disease – and other types of dementia – is most commonly characterized by memory loss, which can result in confusion and sadness. Seniors may forget the place they got married, the circumstances around their first child’s birth, or their grandchildren’s faces. Forgetting significant aspects of one’s life is exceptionally upsetting and scary for those people with Alzheimer’s, as anyone can understand. While the development of memory loss is quite challenging, the family may be encouraged by the fact that short-term memories are the first to be affected – but long-term memories may last quite a long time. You can help your senior loved one retain their memories longer or spark their memory by providing family photos and photographs of significant life events such as their wedding.
According to Alzheimers.net , “the fact of the matter is that visual aids – especially photos – can help stimulate memories for someone with Alzheimer’s, and this holds true for people in the early stages of the disease as well as those with full-blown Alzheimer’s.”
Photographs are powerful tools in two ways.
Keeping old memories alive: When seniors with dementia or Alzheimer’s browse through old photographs, they are reminded of cherished times and memories. The activity helps to preserve the memory and maintain it in their mind.
Establishing the reality of their current life: Recent pictures anchor the present, helping your senior understand their life as it is today. As short-term memory loss is prevalent in those with Alzheimer’s disease, recent photographs remind them about their family and friends today and give them a reference point to work from.
Stimulating the Memory with Photographs
Because Alzheimer’s patients are often “living in the past” and have forgotten more recent events, it can be quite comforting to see images that reflect what is familiar to them. For instance, a senior who doesn’t remember the last several decades may be confused by all the “old people” and nurses they see around them, but a photo of their spouse or young children is familiar.
Family members can organize photos chronologically to help dementia patients reestablish order in their thinking. Presenting their life story through images allows them to see how their life has progressed and helps the family to explain those life events that the patient has forgotten. When they can see the logical progression from their childhood to their wedding, the birth of children, building a new home, and the arrival of grandchildren – and see themselves in each of those situations – it provides a sense of clarity and belonging, even if they forget the details. Caregivers can place the photos in a photo album or offer a digital frame that displays images in order.
If you provide physical pictures, take the extra time to label each photo with names, dates, and explanations so that the senior understands what they are looking at. The images alone can typically stimulate memories; but on days that the disease takes its toll, your loved one may need additional help.
While you can leave these photos with your loved one, be sure to spend time reminiscing with them often. As often as you can revisit their life with them, the more likely that their memories will be retained. Allowing your senior to explain what they remember about each photograph will also create more special memories for you.
A Banyan Residence provides quality memory care at our facility in The Villages. We invite you to take a tour and learn more about what our services can provide.
