Triggering youthful memories for older people and dementia patients using archive film.
Our Living Memories project uses digital media to improve the quality of life, health and wellbeing of older people.Frequently carers are at a loss to know how to engage with the dementia patient, yet it is often possible to stimulate their minds with still and moving images of locations and objects familiar to them from their childhood and teenage years. Such stimulation can lead to informative conversations and reminiscences and open up topics which can be returned to in the future.
Why the community needs usWe are helping older people in the community who have memory loss and dementia to communicate more effectively with family, friends, carers and young people through reminiscence.As a result the elderly can have a more active role in the community, particularly through intergenerational projects. We shall be training young people to carry out audio and video interviews with older people, which will be included in the Living Memories resources that we publish.
Our impact on the communityWe are publishing's DVDs, reminiscence user guides and other memory trigger resources. Subject to raising funds and recruiting the necessary volunteers we also plan to screen archive films in Memory Cafes, residential care homes and community hospital wards.
We would welcome volunteers who grew up in the 1940s - 1970s who would be interested in watching archive films from that era and recording details of what they see in the films. Training will be given.
