As we age, our activity level and mental acuity begin to change. Keeping your parents’ memory fresh in their later years may require changes to their regular daily routine—like new activities, objects, and elements. As their senses begin to fade, it is key to focus on their five senses:

• Sight
• Smell
• Touch
• Taste
• Sound

By stimulating their senses, you’re giving your parents a way to communicate and recall positive memories. Using familiar objects can help your loved ones focus on one sense at a time, especially when you connect the items to activities and hobbies that they enjoyed prior to the memory issues.

With dementia and other conditions that impact memory, older adults can experience confusion and struggle to cope with the changes in their daily life. Familiar items can help them feel safe and secure in a world that is becoming less and less recognizable. On the flip side, slowly introducing objects and can let your loved ones build new connections to everyday life.

It’s important to keep track of how your parents react to new stimuli. Some objects may cause stress, so be prepared to alter the activity or move to a different sense to find an object that elicits a positive response. Here are a few simple tips for keeping your parents’ memory fresh by focusing on their five senses:

Sight

Sight stimulation encompasses light, color, shape, motion, or a combination of these that encourages us to observe objects. Bright colors and art can be an effective element to release frustration and even just start a conversation. Inspire your loved ones to use their sense of sight with these activities:

• Photos of loved ones
• Newspapers or magazines
• Nature documentaries
• Bird feeders
• Fish tanks
• Wall clocks
• Mobile phones

Smell

Scent can transport us back to fond memories and remind us of good times with friends and family. Using specific smells can help your loved ones recall the positive memories and moments in their life. Appeal to your parents’ sense of smell with a few of these stimulants:

• Aromatherapy
• Scented LED candles (battery operated)
• Scented hand lotions and soaps
• Cooking smells, like baking bread or pies
• Fresh flowers

Touch

Every object we touch has a color, texture, temperature, and shape. By adding new objects into your parents’ regular routine, you’re stimulating their tactile sense and encouraging the use of multiple areas in the brain. Incorporate physical touch with objects like these:

• Hugs
• Pet therapy with dogs, cats, or rabbits
• Dolls & stuffed animals
• Fuzzy blankets or pillows
• A jewelry box with large broaches, watches, belt buckles, etc.
• Hand or foot massages

Taste

Foods can be a great way of keeping your parents’ memory fresh and reminding them of happy memories, just like their sense of smell. Preparing special meals from your childhood and your parents’ childhood can stir up positive emotions. Use your loved ones’ sense of taste to stimulate joyful memories and feelings with these foods:

• Familiar food from childhood
• Sweet treats, like lollipops or chocolate
• Herbal and flavored tea
• Ice cream or popsicles
• Small sips of carbonated drinks

Sound

Listening to music or playing calming sounds can be a great way to stimulate pleasant memories. However, it’s important to remember that some noise can be irritating to those suffering from memory loss. Keep personal preferences of music and the volume at a suitable level when using these options to stimulate your parents’ auditory sense:

• Favorite music
• Instruments, like a piano
• Wind chimes
• Sound machines
• Podcast or audiobooks

If you’ve noticed signs of memory loss in your parents, you may want to add new objects and activities for keeping their minds fresh. Losing memory is difficult, but you can help ease your parents’ disorientation with the right stimulation and care.

Finding objects and hobbies that your parents still enjoy can take time, so if you need help with other care responsibilities, you may consider hiring an expert. Then, you can spend much-needed quality time talking with your loved ones, enjoying new activities together, and providing emotional support to help them feel connected with the world again.

Safe-T Home Care is an in-home care agency in Monticello, Indiana. We provide services such as transportation, personal care, and companionship to your loved ones so they can remain safely at home and maintain as much independence as possible. For more information, please visit our website or like us on Facebook.

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