[Bèsame*]

Originally Posted by GeorgiaMa'am

Hi Crafty Peeps,

I'd like to ask for your help. As most of you know, my Mom has moderate-to-severe dementia. I have been trying to think of memory tasks that we can do with her, so that we don't have to try to think of stuff to talk about all the time we're with her. She also needs tasks that will help her feel useful. She doesn't talk much any more. She can't really learn to do anything new, or do anything that requires mental effort (like playing games, even if she knew how to play them in the past). Unfortunately, she doesn't knit or crochet or anything like that, but she does color. Some ideas I have found online and that I have thought of are:

- clipping coupons from the newspaper;
- rolling out dough and cutting out dog cookies (the dog cookie dough is very dry and sturdy, so I can pack the cookies raw into containers and bake them at my sister's house);
- folding sheets and towels, and baby clothes for her great grandson;
- easy puzzles that can be done in one sitting;
- taking her a "sensations" box - a box of things that engage all five senses: cinnamon sticks or other spices in a tin; lotion that smells good; swatches of various fabrics; a prism; candies and fruit cups; an mp3 player with music she likes and podcasts.
- making her a "memory" box - a box of things that will help her remember her life, such as the clutch she took to her senior prom, Christmas ornaments she made with me and my sister, one of my grandmother's small crocheted pieces, her favorite coffee cup, her high school yearbook, pictures of things that won't fit in the box, etc.

Does anyone have any ideas for other memory activities we could do with her? If you have experience with this, or if any ideas come to you, would you please post them here or send me a PM? Any ideas would be much appreciated.

Thanks so much.

Oh I have some ideas. I'll give you a jingle in a few days. We can compare notes.