Everyone struggles to remember specific things at certain times. As your aging parent gets older, he may be finding it more difficult to remember little details such as taking the laundry out of the dryer or the neighbor’s grandchild’s name.
These little moments of forgetfulness are not an area of concern, but they can provide frustration in your parent’s life as well as lead to slight mishaps (like forgetting to take the pizza out of the oven before it burns). As his caregiver, help your parent develop some good techniques and practices to help him increase his ability to remember the tasks, chores and people important to him. (And you may want to use some of these techniques yourself. Everyone needs help remembering sometimes.)
Try Singing or Creating an Acronym
If your parent has a list of things he wants to remember to pick up at the store but there’s nowhere to write it down, see if he can put the items into the tune of a simple song. For example, instead of singing “Happy Birthday to you,” he can sing “Maple Syrup and soup,” helping him to remember those two items. Another way to help the mind remember a list is to create an acronym out of the initial letters of each item. So, if the neighbor has three dogs named Missy, Oscar, and Bella, your parent might be able to remember MOB, which will trigger the names. Partner with your senior care provider to help your parent come up with acronyms or songs for items he needs to remember on a recurring basis.
Use Cheat Sheets
Whether it’s a Post-it Note on the fridge, the back of a business card or a note-taking app in his phone, encourage your parent to use whatever he needs to help him remember important names, dates and information. When meeting new neighbors, have your parent write down their names as soon as possible with a brief description of each person and keep that note handy until the names are solidly in place in his memory.
Put Something Out of Place
If your parent has clothes in the dryer that need to come out, have him put his shoe in the fridge. It might seem strange but it’s that strangeness that will trigger the memory. If your parent (or his senior care provider) opens the fridge to get dinner and there sits his shoe on the top shelf, it’ll cause the thought of “why is that there?” That thought will hopefully trigger the memory that the clothes need to come out of the dryer. It doesn’t always need to be that blatant, but anything that is boldly out-of-place can be a good reminder of a task that needs to be done.
Give a play-by-play
If your parent continually misplaces his glasses or keys, ask him to think (or even say out loud) what he is doing at all times, almost giving a play-by-play like a sports announcer. Thinking “And now, I’m taking my keys and placing them on the counter by the cookie jar,” helps the mind to retrieve that information later when it needs it.
It’s completely normal to forget things occasionally, especially as we get older. Help your parent build up his memory by encouraging him to practice several of these tips throughout his day.
If you or an aging loved-one are considering hiring Home Care Services in Claremont, CA, call the caring staff at Aviva In-Home Care.
Call today: (415) 795-2203
Source:
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