You can enhance the success of reminiscing, the conscious retrieval of positive memories, with elderly people with dementia, most of whom have Alzheimer’s, by appealing to all their senses. On hearing, seeing, feeling or touching, smelling and tasting. Why is that so and how do you achieve that? Reminiscing that helps elderly people with dementia relax and activate, and strengthens self-confidence and identity, becomes even more successful. This activity can be done with a group of people with dementia or with an individual.
- The storage process of memory
- The role of the senses in this
- The memory loss of patients with Alzheimer’s, for example
- Consequences for people with dementia
- Physical decline in elderly people with dementia
- Consequences for older, demented people
- Why use all senses in reminiscence with clients with dementia?
- Be able to recall memories better
- Increase the chance of good observation
- How do you realize that all senses can be used when reminiscing?
- To belong
- To see
- Feeling or touching
- Smell and taste
- Final conclusion about reminiscing with all the senses
The storage process of memory
Normally, memories are transferred from short-term memory to medium-term memory and then to long-term memory. In elderly people with a form of dementia, for example Alzheimer’s or Vascular dementia or Fronto-temporal dementia, this process is disrupted. What is being said now is received briefly, but is no longer stored.
The role of the senses in this
The moment someone experiences something, he experiences it with all his senses. This means that someone stores the image, the sound, the feeling (with the sense of touch) and any smell and taste of an experience in his memory. Emotions that he experiences at that moment are also stored. Strong emotions are often stored even better.
An example of observing with all the senses
Someone takes part in a skating competition. He sees another skater sprinting in front of him. He feels the cold biting his nose. He hears people cheering on the sidelines. And then a little later the taste of hot, sweet aniseed milk.
It may be that he experiences something more strongly with a certain sense than with another sense. People have, usually unconsciously, a preferred sense. This means that they are more sensitive to images, for example, than to sounds. In our current culture, images play a very important role. In addition, music and background music have started to play an increasingly important role.
The memory loss of patients with Alzheimer’s, for example
One of the most well-known symptoms of dementia is memory loss. Characteristic of this is that the most recent events are forgotten first. These are no longer stored or not stored properly in the short-term memory. The result is that these events are not passed on to the medium and long-term memory,
Consequences for people with dementia
The different types of dementia all cause these elderly people to forget their most recent experiences almost immediately, but they have not yet lost memories of the past, for example of their youth or young adulthood. Experiences that were accompanied by strong emotions at the time can often still be recalled.
Physical decline in elderly people with dementia
Dementia occurs mainly, but not exclusively, in older people. As they deteriorate physically due to age, their senses also deteriorate. We often realize that older people’s vision and hearing deteriorate. But the loss of quality applies equally to tasting, smelling and touching.
Consequences for older, demented people
The consequence of reduced sensory perceptions is that if you do an activity with these people, it makes sense to appeal to the different senses as much as possible. The gentleman who has difficulty seeing an object may still be able to hear the song well. Anyone who has poor hearing and vision will hopefully find some use in touching an object. And otherwise, with a bit of luck, someone can still enjoy the smell of warm apple pie and taste the sweet and sour apples in it.
Why use all senses in reminiscence with clients with dementia?
Be able to recall memories better
Because memories are stored with all sensory observations included, memories can be better recalled by involving all senses.
Increase the chance of good observation
Due to the decline of the senses in the elderly, experiences and events can be perceived less well. By appealing strongly to the senses, the chance of good perception is increased. This is of course doubly important for people with dementia, whose memory function is impaired. So the sound is a little louder, the taste is a little sweeter, etc.
How do you realize that all senses can be used when reminiscing?
To belong
Make sure there is enough to listen to. Pay attention to volume and quality. This concerns the intelligibility of the conversation, but also certainly the music. Also consider the sound a device makes. For example, the grinding of a coffee grinder or the whistling of a kettle.
To see
Make sure everyone can see each other. Understanding is, unconsciously, strengthened by seeing the lips of others moving. The other person’s emotions are also better noticed if one can see the facial expressions of the other participants.
If you are talking one-on-one, you should also pay attention to the setup. If the other person is hearing impaired, make sure the light falls on your face. Then the hearing impaired person can see your face better and therefore understand you better. It is important for those who hear poorly that there is also
something to see
when reminiscing . Think of pictures and photos and objects. An elderly person with dementia may not recognize an image of an object, but they may recognize the object itself, provided it has realistic dimensions and recognizable colors.
Feeling or touching
Memories are also stored in the body and in the sensations of the skin. Letting people feel something with their skin may help you recall a memory. The sense of touch is the sense that seems to remain intact the longest. So for people with limited vision, the chance of good or at least better perception is greater if they can also feel an object.
Safe touch
When it comes to this sense, paying attention to safety is very important: make sure that someone with dementia and limited abilities cannot hurt themselves on anything. Also make sure that someone does not accidentally put a small object in their mouth: for example, a raw chestnut is easily mistaken for a chocolate. Especially when that chestnut is ready for grabs on a plate on the table!
Smell and taste
Smelling and tasting are closely related. People who smell less well also taste less. You experience this when you have a cold. Also with these two senses, an observation is more successful if you use them. So, if possible, make sure there is something to smell. For example, think of the smell and taste of aniseed milk. Scents in particular can bring back memories from a very long time ago.
Safe tasting
Safety must also be taken into account when tasting an apple . Because the reminiscence is done with older, often less healthy people, not everyone is allowed to eat everything. Think of sugar, fat and salt. But also alcohol in connection with medication use. In addition, there are often a number of people in this group who have swallowing problems.
Final conclusion about reminiscing with all the senses
Reminiscing is better when all senses are used. Not only because memories were once stored with all the senses, but also because the less well-functioning senses can be compensated for by the better-functioning senses.
read more
- Reminiscing/reminiscing in dementia: reasons
- Reminiscing/retrieving memories in dementia: methodology
- Dementia & communication: open, closed, leading questions
- Stimulating memory in dementia by reading fairy tales
- Elderly people with dementia: viewing family photos is stimulating