This article states that reminiscing can be a part of a daily plan. I agree that remembering pleasant parts of the past may bring joy. However, I am afraid that if it reveals people who have passed away, or recalls good things that are no longer here today, it may bring sadness. So I may need to be selective.
Does anyone have any experiences to share?
I also think that depending on the PWD, it's fine to reminisce about the same thing repeatedly, if that person does not remember past reminiscing sessions.
It is a two-edged sword for sure, and I find i cannot always predict whether the response is going to be positive or negative. Varies by mood perhaps.
Speaking as a person with memory loss but not Alzheimer's Disease, I caution too much reliance on reminiscing. This is because I just can't remember, and it's getting worse. Just a few minutes ago on a telephone call, I was trying to remember what I was doing yesterday that I could not call my friend back when she called.
Long ago I made a decision not to worry myself about trying to remember things from the past. An example, is trying to remember scenes from a movie. I can remember that I saw a certain movie, but I can't remember scenes or the plot or the ending. So I can't discuss the movie with anyone, because they will get upset at my nonremberance.
Sometimes someone will say, "do you remember such and such?" I may say that I do, even if I don't, to avoid awkwardness and embarrassment. I am making efforts to live in the present. It's a challenge, because so much of regular conversation is about the past. The past is fading away for me. Not gone, but fading. I am learning to enjoy the present. And it's good.
Iris
Reminiscing depends on the person and where they are in progression. My DH no longer enjoys reminiscing. The only thing he will do is look at pictures for a bit but then walks off. He no longer recognizes people in the pictures.
Dear Iris,
One gift my husband's illness bestowed on us was just that: Living in the present. Every day was a new day with no memory of yesterday. Eventually , every minute was new, and i learned that acceptance was the key to staying calm and focused. Being in the moment is a good thing...
I hope you enjoy each and every experience.
Maureen
Thank you all for your thoughts and experiences. I realize every person is different, and there are hidden blessings too in living in the moment.
Yes, living in the moment and living a life that is driven by service, love, and slowing down have all been a blessing to me on this journey.
I'm pretty selective with reminiscing as well. I steer clear from anything that is going to remind Peggy that our parents have passed away (or any other close relative, for that matter). She doesn't always remember that they've passed, and when she does remember, it's upsetting for her.
What I will do is use the past for humor - it's my secret weapon. Meal times with Peggy can be stressful. Food sometimes stresses her out, enough that she just won't eat. We were in that situation just the other day. I could see that she was heading toward a meltdown, so I said, "Hey Peggy, remember when you used to put Tabasco sauce on everything and then cover it with black pepper? Was that actually good?" She burst out laughing, and of course remembered that she used to do that. So we're still laughing and I said, "let me help you get a bite of that carrot." Worked like a charm.
I think in a lot of PWD's minds is: "muddle muddle muddle." Then someone comes along to bring them out of that muddle. They can only have one thought at a time. I'm glad that that recall worked so well.
Iris
