PLAN - WHAT DID YOU SET OUT TO DO? | |
| Summary/ Description of Activity | |
| Demented persons borrow a memory box, and by seeing the objects, feeling and smelling them - they remember better | |
| Learning objectives: | |
| The objective is to retrain and revive temporarily the memory of dement persons, by making them see feel and smell objects from their past (childhood, youth and adult life) before they grew dement. Scientific research have stated that the activity makes the dement people temporarily feel better and improve their cognitive abilities. For this activity 2 different types of memory boxes are used (1 for men and 1 for women) with objects you can see, feel and smell. | |
| DESCRIPTION OF ACTIVITY | |
| Date [dd/mm/yyyy] | Sep. 1st. 2004 - ongoing |
| Length of activity | The memory boxes area are at the home of the demented and aged people for a period of 3 months |
| Frequency | The activity is ongoing since 2004. The boxes can be borrowed from the library. |
| Organiser | Roskilde Libraries, Viby branch |
| Tutor | Librarian and clerk from the library |
| Group Size | 1 demented person and 1 of the nursing staff (always and only the same nurse) |
| Venue | Library |
| Location | Homes for demented and aged persons in Roskilde, Denmark DK |
| Environment | Rural and urban |
| Location Factors | |
| Partnerships | Library and home for demented people |
| Target group | In the beginning: Only demented persons from local Viby home for demented persons. Now for all demented persons in the municipality of Roskilde |
| Contact | birtherasm@roskilde.dk, vibybib@roskilde.dk |
| Marketing | At start: Via personal contact and information from library staff to each home for demented and aged people – now also via recommendation from home to home. |
| Method of delivery | In the beginning: The library staff got introduction to dementia from a Scientific Research Centre of Dementia. The memory boxes were developed on basis of the knowledge and help from the Scientific Centre |
| Equipment required | Objects you can see, feel and smell, The objects must derive from the elder generation’s childhood, youth and later on: e.g. old kitchen tools, books, magazines, coffee cups, radios etc. to revive the memory of the dement people . The objects must small enough to be in the suitcase. The suitcases are different: 1 type for men, another for women |
| Other Factors | A demented person need to have the memory boxes are for a period of 3 month – therefore you might need to have many to lend |
| Tasks | (Task4) Maintain and increase seniors competences |
EVALUATION OF ACTIVITY| Evaluation of the Learning Objectives |
| The demented persons revive their former lives and their memory is temporarily better. This gives an improved quality of life for the demented persons, they become more calm and relaxed |
| Evaluation of the activity |
| The local home for demented persons “Oasen” was pleased with the results from the use of the boxes. And recommended the boxes to other homes in the municipality. The success is so great that many more boxes could be lend to the homes. |
| Evaluation of what was learned by the participants |
| See above |
| Evaluation of what staff have learned |
| Library staff has learned that information to users can be other objects than traditional books, audio books, videos etc. and the staff has also learned that they can pass on non-traditional information to non-traditional users |
| Keywords |
| demented persons; memory rivival |
| ANALYSIS OF EVALUATION |
| What would you change to improve activity? |
| It is necessary to create new boxes to the regular users – you cannot give them the same box several times in succession. You also have to create new boxes for people according to their birth date, e.g. a type of box for 1 person born in the 1930’es and another type of box for 1 person born in the 1940’es. also you have to take into consideration that the dement persons tend to be younger and younger. |
| What particular circumstance could affect a change in the activity? |
| The demented persons tend to be demented at a younger and younger age |
| Other possible Activities |
| Other activities and objects for demented persons, e.g. a kitchen, a sitting room, music and song activities |
| Best practice |
| Transferability: |