5 minute storytelling & memory loss

Recently I had the chance to visit my grandfather in his memory care home. It had been a number of years since I had seen him, so the changes in him were overwhelming evident. I knew going in that he would not be the person I remembered as a young woman. I also knew that he was still a human being with experiences and thoughts and feelings.

We had a nice chat about his crackers and whether or not he was enjoying them. There were so many things I wanted to ask him and tell him. But I knew that what he needed was far more important than what I needed. Just my being there and talking with him was enough.

I was pleasantly surprised to find that he still had his wry sense of humor intact even though I wasn't part of his memories anymore. As sad as I was and am, I am grateful he is in a place that honors him as a person.

Memory Loss

Working with people who are experiencing memory loss changes the conversation quite a bit when it comes to helping them tell their stories. The goals are drastically different than those for someone who still has their memories. I've written more about that here. Suffice to say that it isn't about the memories from before, it's about remembering to connect with them each day, right where they are and not expecting them to perform for you.

Have something you would like to add on this topic or want to share your experience? Ping me in messenger or get on the email list and send me an email reply.

In the Legacy World

The past month or so has been a busy one on the website with a few updates happening and a consistent article coming out every few days. I hope you have a moment to check out the face-lift happening on the website. Here are some recent highlights from the blog

• Songs we love
• Love & Loss

The rest of the month's publications will be focused on talking about love and the moments that make us smile. There will also be info on Leap Year and where it originates from.

5 Minute Storytelling

If you are looking for bite size options to integrate into your daily activities, you can find audio recordings on 5 Minute Storytelling topics like

• Innovation
• Moments of Failure
• Favorite Piece of Furniture (yes, I'm serious)
• Resolutions

If you have a request for a specific topic, do let me know. You can do that by hitting the messenger bubble and putting your request there.

Have questions about how Legacy can be a resource for you or someone you work with? Reach out! I'm always happy to point you in the right direction.

What now?

Looking for that thing to help you keep your storytellers engaged and talking? For the writers in your care, this journal will keep them talking for a good long while. Encourage them (if they can) to reach out via phone or video to family members and share the memories they write about.

This journal was designed for storytellers in their sunset years who are ready to write about and share their memories. Simple to use and elegant enough to keep around to remind you of them long after they are gone.