Having a loved one with Alzheimer’s is devastating and hard to deal with. You’ve gotten the diagnosis for your loved one and studied up on everything you could find as a caregiver. If you have dealt with an Alzheimer’s patient before, then you know that memory loss is one of the hardest situations to deal with.
The stages of Alzheimer’s disease are hard on everyone involved, and many families minds turn to ways to capture the memories of their loved ones, and save them for later on to share with children, grandchildren and other relatives that might not otherwise get to share in the knowledge and experience of their parents and grandparents.
As a loved one, you’re in a special place and able to help your relative who has Alzheimer’s to capture, gather, and preserve their special memories for all the generations to come after them. If you’re wondering how to capture those memories, you can find some suggestions in the blog below.
Gather and store photos
There are so many different ways to gather and store photos in today’s highly technology-driven world, that you should have no problem taking care of any photos of your loved one. The storage capacity of ibi is something you will want to check into early on, so you have a place to store and share the photos that your loved one with Alzheimer’s cherishes.
You can also help your special loved one keep their memories as long as possible by going through those photos with them, and helping them to remember the people and stories those photos have to tell. Helping your loved one to hold onto their memories as long as possible is a good idea. However, don’t get frustrated and don’t push them to remember, if they are having a difficult day. It will only lead to frustration and tears for both of you.
Keep a Written Journal/ Record Memories Orally
It is well-documented that people with Alzheimer’s tend to start living in the past as their memories recede. If you want to preserve the stories of the past, take the time to jot down the stories as your loved one tells them. Keeping a written journal is something you can share with friends, family, and future generations. You can even pass it down from a family member to a family member, so everyone feels like she is right there with them, even after she is gone.
If your loved one isn’t camera-shy, you can get them to record their stories, before their memory truly starts to fade as well. This is something you don’t want to push, but want to let your loved one do in their own time when they are ready.
It’s also a good idea to start videoing family gatherings whenever you can as well. Not only are they a way to capture memories, but you can also show them to your loved one to help with their memory as well.
Make up a scrapbook and keepsake box
Putting photos, awards, letters, and other keepsakes in a box or scrapbook is something that you can do as a family with your loved one. For example, if your mom loved to cook, making a scrapbook of all her favorite recipes together will not only help her but give you something to cherish once she’s gone.
These are just a few of the ways that you can capture the memory of a loved one with Alzheimer’s. While maybe one day in the future there may be a cure for this dreadful disease, for now, all we can do is savor the moments and capture the memories together.