Your Seniors Love Memories Meant to be Shared

Your Seniors Love Memories Meant to be Shared 

By Aileen Brazeau, co-owner, San Clemente Villas by the Sea

 When a loved one gets older and has trouble remembering, it might get hard for you to find something to talk about that will actually get them talking. They fear saying the wrong thing, or what was being said. 

The present is a scary place for those with dementia. It makes them withdraw from you and the whole world. That makes them vulnerable to depression. Being alone, even in your mind, is not a happy place, so take them to a place where they were young, strong and confident – their youth! 

It might seem strange that someone with a memory problem can remember when they were young. But dementia patients lose their short term memory first – the things that recently happen are very difficult, but their youth is something they remember well.

 It might help to get the family photos out to start the ball rolling. Photos take us back to another place and time. For elders, the really old photos probably hold a lot of fond memories and fun times. If you are patient and listen well, you'll probably learn a lot about the family history. Give your loved one time to reflect on questions you ask. They will answer. Older people think longer on what they will say.

 Try to start your talk about the good old days when your loved one is well-rested, well-fed and in a place that is free of distractions. Sit where you can look them in their eyes. Older people know you are listening when you look them in the eye. Try to avoid discussing bad events. Try to make this a time for happiness.

 Most of us find it fun to think about our childhood. There were times we just love to remember. It’s the same for your elderly loved one. It’s really fun to have these conversations with younger folks around if they're not too distracting. Stories from our grandparents and great-grandparents are very precious. This little talk could become some of your children's favorite memories. I know I cherish the talks I had with my granny about her childhood. Just remembering her stories is like a trip back in time.

 So here are some fun things to talk about.

 Do you remember when? –

 Poodle skirts were the fad?

1. Elvis was considering obscene?
2. Milk was delivered to your door each morning?
3. Drying clothes was always done on a clothes line?
4. People wrote letters--not e-mail?
5. Every phone had a party line?
6. Momma washed the girls’ hair in the sink every Saturday?
7. Pin curls were the fashion, but those pins must have been a bear to sleep on?
8. A beehive was a hairdo?
9. Rolled up jeans and bobby socks were the craze?
10. Saddle oxfords, penny loafers, and go-go boots were to die for?
11. All stores were closed on Sunday – even the liquor stores?
12. Women only went to town dressed in their Sunday best?
13. Betsy Wetsie, Chatty Cathy, Thumbelina, and Patty Play Pal were on every little girl’s wish list? Every little boy wanted a Red Ryder B-B gun or a coonskin cap?
14. When neighbors sat on their front porches every evening to visit with their neighbors instead of watching TV?
15. The Brit’s invaded the U.S. – the Beatles on the Ed Sullivan Show.
16. When Saturday nights was spent with Lawrence Welk?
17. When exercise was done every morning with Jack LaLanne?
18. Your milk or lunch money was tied up in a handkerchief?
19. The mash potato, the swim, the twist, and the pony were how we danced?

 These are just a few suggestions to talk about with your loved one. I know you’ll have as much fun remembering as they will! You might want to have a tape recorder or some way to record these conversations handy. These stories will become treasured memories for your whole family.

San Clemente Villas provides full-service, luxury assisted living to those over the age of 65. San Clemente Villas by the Sea is at 660 Camino De Los Mares, San Clemente, CA 92673. Phone: (949) 289-1534 | Fax: (949) 234-0081. Contact: Paul or Aileen Brazeau, Co-Owners of San Clemente Villas by the Sea. www.SanClementeVillas.com | abrazeau@cox.net. 

Posted for Aileen by Bill Koelzer, Internet Marketing and PR Professional.

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