Memory/Photo book - has anyone tried something similar?

jasmineflower

Registered User
Aug 27, 2012
335
0
My MIL- 77 - now with Alzheimer's for more than 10 years - can recognise only people in photos that were taken from around the 1950's and before.

I have managed to get a selection of photos from one of her relatives from this time in her life and they include all her brothers and sisters, her old family home etc. and I have been uploading them and photo-shopping all the tears and creases out and I'm going to stick them into a scrapbook for her. I'm hoping it might trigger off some memories and give us something to talk about.

Just wondering whether anyone else has had much success from this type of thing?
Did it work, or was it an abject failure? Suppose I'm just preparing myself to face the fact that all my hard work may be for nothing :D
Jenny
 

sandra21155

Registered User
Apr 19, 2012
48
0
northern ireland
Hi Jenny, I made a photo book for mum. Used one of the online sites. (well known chemist was good ) Put on old photos of weddings, school , babies , etc. Found old photos of her parents & granparents. Also her favourite places to visit so she could talk about what she did there. You can add names. comments etc. Just as a prompt for her. It cost about £25, so maybe a scrapbook would work out cheaper. Its great for when visitors come and they run out of things to say. Mum is able to get her book and will look through the pages with her visitors. I also enjoyed doing it. Sandra
 

Saffie

Registered User
Mar 26, 2011
22,513
0
Near Southampton
I'm in the process of making a Memory book for my husband but am making it in the form of a photographic journey of his life with captions relevant to the photos. I'm doing it myself using a 12"x12" album with clear full-page plastic pockets. It's taking a long time because of enlarging and copying the old photos but they came out better being simply photocopied than than scanned and then printed. I am finding it a rather emotional experience.
 

jaymor

Registered User
Jul 14, 2006
15,604
0
South Staffordshire
I made one for my husband that I started when he was first diagnosed. I am a cardmaker and scrapbooker so as sad as it was I really enjoyed doing it. he used it a lot and of course could remember the people, places and occasions which unfortunately he does not now. He took it into his nursing home and the staff loved to look through it with him and they got a glimpse of his life before dementia took him over.

Jay
 

jude50

Registered User
Dec 28, 2011
2,446
0
Cardiff
I did one for Mum when she was in hospital and going to be discharged to a CH. Unfortunately she died before she could see it but for that reason it's all the more precious to me.

DSCF0129.jpg
 

ROSEANN

Registered User
Oct 1, 2006
909
0
75
staffordshire
Hi
We have done several over the years for my husband but now he finds it hard to look at group photo`s.
My daughter is doing one for him just with the faces of his family and who they are underneath so I hope he will look at this one.
He can not talk much but he pokes his finger at the photo`s so we think he still knows who they are or that they are familiar.:)
Roseann x
 

Saffie

Registered User
Mar 26, 2011
22,513
0
Near Southampton
Just a tip - a clear cover over the photos helps protect them as sometimes the person might try to tear them or they may get food over them.
 

jasmineflower

Registered User
Aug 27, 2012
335
0
Thank you for all your tips, suggestions and links. It has really given me food for thought. I liked the suggestion about removable and plastic covered pages in case one picture causes upset. I would never have thought of that until it was too late. Thank you for the pictures of the books you have made too - they are works of art!

I think mine will have to be quite simple because I want to do it quickly before we have another deterioration. I have tried looking at some of the families photo albums with my MIL but she doesn't recognize her children as babies or toddlers or even adults any more, nor does she recognize her grandchildren in any photos. I will stick to her childhood in Ireland and include some pictures of her town to jog memories.
 

Onlyme

Registered User
Apr 5, 2010
4,992
0
UK
How about putting in photos of products in the wrapper/packaging that was around when she was younger?

A lot of products have updated over the years but seeing the ones that were around in my youth bring memories flooding back.
 

jasmineflower

Registered User
Aug 27, 2012
335
0
How about putting in photos of products in the wrapper/packaging that was around when she was younger?

A lot of products have updated over the years but seeing the ones that were around in my youth bring memories flooding back.

Excellent idea - I feel another Google coming on !;)
 

Nanak

Registered User
Mar 25, 2010
1,979
0
64
Brisbane Australia
My sister in law and I did one for my Mother in Law in her care home. We put the photos in and then put labels under each one saying who was in them eg: This is John, Kathleens brother, so if the care staff had five minutes they would look at them with her and could talk about them. It was a great success and as time went on and MIL was more confused the photos were there and by then staff and visitors knew who the people in them were.
Give it a go, you have nothing to lose. Good luck :)
Nanak
 

LadyA

Registered User
Oct 19, 2009
13,730
0
Ireland
I did one for William for his last birthday last Summer. PIcs of his parents, grandparents, his first wife, his children - when they were small and then as they are as adults, with their children - his old VW van that he used to talk about, houses he used to live in, etc. etc. He loves it, and has added things to it himself - written on it, snippets that he wanted to add, more photos he received from people, even stuck in a pretzel when we had them one day!! :D He still often gets it out and pores over it.
 

Margaret W

Registered User
Apr 28, 2007
3,720
0
North Derbyshire
These memory packages are lovely.

So your mum might have photos of her grandparents, but might actually remember a great grandparent or two. I have subs to all the genealogy websites. As well as reminding people who their ancestors were, sometimes it is good to remember where they lived. I recently looked into the ancestry of my friend's dad, aged 93, and discovered that his great grandparents had lived in his house since 1891, and he never knew that.

Love

Margaret
 
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Mufti

Registered User
May 11, 2012
107
0
Kent
memory book

I started a memory book for my partner when I began to realise something was wrong - 7 years ago. I gave it to him as a Xmas present that year. Then he used it for pleasure - now I find it useful on days when he is particularly muddled - he doesn't always remember all the faces but it does give him a sense of himself - I have included lots of photos of his work and colleagues over the years and we can talk about his work and try to improve his feelings of self worth through all the good work he did. Sadly about a year ago he forgot who i am so I had to remove our holiday album as it upset him - he believes that "I" left him so the holiday photos were too painful - felt like I had disappeared at first but now I try to accept it and stick to photos of him, his friends and colleagues. The holiday snaps are just mine now!! Mufti x
 

Daisy48

Registered User
Sep 7, 2012
120
0
North Staffordshire
Hi Jenny
I made a book for Dad and he's enjoyed sharing it with visitors and carers. I think it's been good for the nursing home know about Dad and what his life was like ,it also provides opportunities to talk.
Dad recognised his parents on the photos but doesn't talk about my Mum at all,even though they were married for 37 years until her death in 2000.
I was thinking of putting a variety of photos in a frame for Dad for christmas.For instance the 5 grandchildren together in a shot and each daughter and hubby.
I hope your memory book is successful.
 

LadyA

Registered User
Oct 19, 2009
13,730
0
Ireland
Daisy you have raised an excellent point - it is vital for a care home to know about people. Dau's grandfather, when he was in a care home, spend one day in tears, and no-one knew why until we got there. There was a big cycle race on the tv (which, being blind he couldn't see, but could hear the commentary), and his son, who had died suddenly a few years previously, had been one of the organisers of the cycle race when it was first hosted here. The staff hadn't known, and so didn't know to move him out of earshot of the tv.
 

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