Ideas to help a person with dementia to feel in touch with family and friends

[HarrietD]

Do you have tips to help a person with dementia to feel in touch with family and friends that we could share in the next issue of our magazine?

An article in the latest Dementia together magazine features ideas to keep in touch - through technology and otherwise - as well as ways to help feel connected to family and friends.

Add your comments (and any pictures!) below or email magazine@alzheimers.org.uk by end of 4 January. Thanks everyone

 

[try again]

Echo show. You can set it up to drop in on PWD, so they don't have to do anything .

 

[SeaSwallow]

My PWD loves telephone calls from family members. Unfortunately he rapidly forgets that they have spoken and feels that no one cares for him.
Telling old family stories and reminiscing helps to maintain a feeling of connection.

 

[HarrietD]

Lovely ideas, thank you @try again and @SeaSwallow

If anyone has any ideas they'd like to add around helping someone to feel in touch with loved ones, please let us know.

 

[sdmhred]

We started using video calling during covid and now mum receives a FaceTime most evenings from my siblings. She gets a little agitated when it rings, but smiles as soon as she sees a familiar face. As primary carer I also appreciate seeing and hearing them. She does get stressed when they ask her what she has done that day (clearly can’t remember). I keep meaning to tell them to ask what have you enjoyed that day? I do that and then get a sense of what is important to her even if the event hasnt actually happened!!

 

[Agzy]

Echo show. You can set it up to drop in on PWD, so they don't have to do anything .

How does that work? I have echo dot and it reminds Pauline to take meds but other than that to listen to the radio.

 

[LynneMcV]

My late husband's auntie always used to write letters to update him on family news and what was happening back home in Scotland. She would also also regularly post him a copy of the local paper and, if she went on any trips, she would send him a postcard from wherever she was, even if it was just a day trip.

This really helped my husband feel connected to his family and he could re -read the letters, postcards and snippets from the newspapers (which quite often featured friends and family) whenever he wanted.

He appreciated this kind of old-fashioned communication far more than anything attempted over the computer. He did enjoy phone calls but, in time the conversations became fogotten, so writing letters was the best option. Just having a letter drop through the letter box with a Scottish post mark was enough to make him feel happy and connected.

Once he started to struggle with reading I would read the letters and newspaper snippets to him, which he really enjoyed.

 

[Susan11]

During Covid, when we couldn't visit, I used to email a photo with a little narrative underneath to the Care Home. They used to print them out, chat to Mum about them and put them up on Mum's bedroom wall.

 

[try again]

How does that work? I have echo dot and it reminds Pauline to take meds but other than that to listen to the radio.

How to Set Up Alexa Calling for a Loved One

Are you looking for a way to setup video chats with your loved one who lives independently or in a facility? This article tells you how to do that, using the Echo Show, without requiring your loved one to do any of the "setting up".

www.techenhancedlife.com

 

[Andbreathe]

I take my ipad to mum's and call up one of her old friends who lives some distance away.

 

[HarrietD]

We'll be closing this thread at the end of today - thank you to everyone who contributed their ideas