Learning how nostalgia affects memory enables caregivers and families to find ways to harness these benefits in seniors' daily lives.
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines nostalgia as a wistful or sentimental yearning for something or someone specific, especially from the past. Many things can make a person nostalgic, including a favorite meal, a song from their youth or a beloved activity, especially one revolving around traditions and holidays.
Nostalgia and memories are inseparable. The strong feelings of happiness, comfort or contentedness a person experiences from their memories of a specific time in their lives make them long to experience it again.
The connection between memory and nostalgia can be used to enhance memory recall in individuals with dementia. For instance, a specific perfume or cologne may help a senior remember a loved one who always wears the fragrance.
In the same fashion, taking part in a family tradition, such as caroling or decorating Christmas cookies, might stir memories of past holidays. This may allow a senior to more easily reminisce about related experiences with their family.
Here at Autumn View Gardens Ellisville, we encourage our residents to enjoy the pleasure of good friendships. Talking about nostalgic memories with others can help draw out withdrawn individuals and encourage them to share their own experiences.
Additionally, many nostalgic situations involve friends, family members and even old classmates. Remembering past social connections can help seniors recognize their bonds with others in the present and how to interact with them.
Memories shape people, influencing their beliefs and the way they perceive the world. Seniors with memory issues often struggle to maintain their personal identity.
Nostalgia can help counter this issue by letting seniors focus on their past companions, life choices and personal preferences. This can make it easier for them to establish and hold onto their sense of self.
Focusing on former accomplishments can help older adults gain a boost of self-esteem. By recalling a past achievement, they can take pride in the things they've done and draw strength from the way they've impacted their family or community over the years.
Each person with memory issues is affected by their symptoms differently. Therefore, therapies and activities must be tailored to suit individuals.
While most seniors respond well to reminiscence therapies and nostalgia triggers, certain individuals may be upset by recalling the past. This can be particularly true for seniors who've suffered abuse, trauma and personal loss.
Remembering a family tradition may make them recall a loved one who's no longer present, or they may associate a popular pop song from their childhood with a painful memory. The best way to harness the power of nostalgia is to find good memories to invoke and be considerate of seniors' personal feelings.
Our residents and their families here in Ellisville, MO, can talk with our staff and community chaplain about their individual circumstances and ways to create personalized reminiscence therapies.
The most powerful nostalgic memories are often rooted in experiences that took place in a senior's childhood or young adult years.
Talking with them and studying their reactions to stimuli such as music or activities is the best way to learn about things they find sentimental. You can also ask others who know your loved one well.
Here's a collection of things to consider using to encourage nostalgia.
Previous pastimes, including baking, sewing, golfing and gardening, offer good activity options when promoting nostalgia. To start, you may wish to:
Scents can transport a person back to a prominent memory. These smells are often deeply personal and may take some detective work to unearth.
A senior might remember their grandparents' home always smelled like mints when they were a child. Their mother may have burned a specific type of candle around the holidays, or their father may have had a woodworking hobby, so the smell of sawdust could be nostalgic.
Surrounding them with familiar scents from the past, such as a bowl of potpourri on the coffee table or a lavender sachet in their dresser, may heighten their sense of comfort and calm.
Sensory therapy is a tried-and-true method of promoting memories. Memory boxes offer you the opportunity to assemble several sensory-rich items in one place.
You can make several based on a variety of themes, including:
The goal is to have visually recognizable things and tactile items with a variety of textures they can hold or touch. Interacting with these items can help them focus on specific memories.
