We had such fun at one of our Lady-Links visits engaging a dear friend with dementia in talking about travel adventures. One of the Lady-Links brought a scrapbook filled with pictures spanning several years of travels prompting our dear friend to talk about several excursions she made when she was younger.
We all shared similar memories of visiting the mountains or the oceans or even visiting foreign countries. Many of the scrapbook pictures prompted our dear friend to make comments about her own experiences. The pictures were lovely and certainly produced many fond memories in each of our lives. One picture stood out, however, and we all questioned its validity. It was of a bird with blue feet.
The scrapbook owner assured us that such a bird existed and was named the “Blue-footed Booby” which prompted laughter from the others of us there, including our dear friend. The Lady-Link scrapbook owner even brought a carving of a blue-footed booby to enhance the picture that was taken when she visited the Galapagos Islands.
We decided that apparently such a bird does exist and that such a funny name for a funny-looking bird was appropriate even though it made us laugh.
Want to share photographs with your friend or loved one who has dementia? After all, pictures do make communication easier. Here’s some tips we have found helpful:
- Look at the photos together, don’t just hand it to her to go through by herself.
- Select several (not all) photos to describe. Don’t overwhelm with a long description…just a few words will do.
- Have an object that she can hold that will make one or two of the pictures more meaningful. (Such as the wood carving of the Blue-footed Booby.)
- Share your own impressions about what you’re viewing with the intent of linking to something to which she might relate.
- Make it an enjoyable experience by following her cues as to what to focus on and know when to stop.
You’ve heard the saying, “A picture is worth a thousand words.” We have found that if a picture inspires just a few words or even just a smile from our dear friends, then it is well worth it. May your pictures inspire love and laughter from your loved ones or friends with dementia as they do ours.
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