The Power of Reminiscence Therapy and Cherishing Old Memories
“My mother lives in a memory care facility. I try to visit as often as I can and keep her company, but sometimes it’s hard to keep a conversation going because she has nearly no short-term memory, and I just don’t know what to talk about. What is your advice?”
Dear At a Loss for Words,
Yes, having normal everyday conversations can become very difficult and even frustrating when your loved one has little short-term memory left. Instead of trying to talk about things that are happening now, I suggest exploring past memories together. Oftentimes, even when short-term memory is gone long-term memories remain and can bring a lot of joy to your loved one!
To spend meaningful quality time together, try listening to music and pick songs that were popular back when your mother was a teenager or in her early twenties. Or bring some old family photographs and look through them with each other, allowing her to share her memories about the people and places in the pictures.
There are even companies such as Capture Your Story and Story Terrace that will create a life story book about your loved one with their life story, photos, and memories that can be preserved and shared with future generations.
Here are articles for further reading on the benefits of listening to music and recalling past memories—known as “Reminiscence Therapy”: