Memory makes us, us. Experience marks us in many ways. It leaves traces. It shapes who we are.
How might we help people with Dementia remember?
Memory loss is one of the most debilitating experiences for people with dementia, whose cognitive ability reduces as the brain changes through neurodegenerative disease. Typically, people with dementia experience a sense of identity loss, which can negatively influence well-being, behaviour and rationale. Reminiscence therapy helps trigger memory function, which can help improve cognitive stimulation and gently resist the terminal brain deterioration. By activating memories in the patient in the company of family or friends, reminiscence therapy has a unique capacity to draw out one’s identity and assert presence in an often bewildering and isolating condition.
About
Reminiscent is a series of sensory pods infused with scents designed to engage and stimulate the minds of people with dementia. Our sense of smell has a direct link to emotional memory, by engaging with the olfactory sense, these pods act as memory triggers to mediate effective social engagement. The pods draw out memory through conversation between participants who cusp and smell the palm-sized objects, also engaging with tactile perception of texture. An experience-centred approach invites staff, family and friends to connect and engage with the person with dementia, stimulating the users’ memory, mediating conversation and creating positive and exploratory new memories.
The development of the Reminiscent system involved a long process of researching users, experimenting and testing with various materials to create tactile textures. The ambiguous form of the pods has been developed to fit the palm of the hand, enabling the physical gesture of smelling to be intimate and user-centred and avoiding a clinical distancing.
