3:20pm Monday 20th July 2009
A GROUP of pensioners have been preparing for a time when their memories might not be as active as they are today.
They have written down all the important events from their childhood onwards, to ensure they retain their dignity in later life.
It was the idea of Sian Kilcoyne who is the scheme manager at the sheltered housing complex where they live.
Sian, aged 47, says she is “passionate” about helping older people retain their dignity and believes this is a way of achieving that.
She underwent reminiscence training which inspired her to help the residents at St Matthews Grange in Halliwell, where she works.
“What they have done is write down things they remember, important things from their past, so that people who care for them, relatives and friends, will know about these events if the old person’s memory does fail them,” explained Sian.
She said that when a person started to suffer from dementia they would have problems remembering recent events but still be able to remember things that happened many years ago.
Sian said: “It means they can be treated with dignity. It means that if they are, for example, saying that it’s their wedding day the person who is caring for them can help them talk about that wedding day rather than denying the fact.
“There is no dignity in telling someone with dementia that it is 2009 and it can’t be their wedding day.
“Surely it is better to be able to talk about the dress they wore, what the bridesmaids wore and what flowers they had.
“All that detail would be there, in their own words, and help bring that event back to life for them.”
After putting down their own memories, the residents got together and decided to research the area in which they now live.
They visited Bolton library and museum and got to grips with the computer to compile the book entitled “Our Lives Our History Our Home”.
Irene Colgan, aged 81, said she had enjoyed working on both projects.
“It has been very enjoyable and brought back some fond memories,” she said.
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