Top 10 memory aids and strategies to help with dementia

If you or a loved one is struggling with poor memory, there are gadgets, strategies and memory aids for dementia can help.

One of the most common symptoms that people with dementia have to deal with is poor memory. Often, the difficulty lies in creating new memories, rather than recalling events from the distant past. Forgetting things is not intentional and it can be embarrassing for a person with poor memory when they repeat themselves or get confused.

Putting some of these memory aids in place may boost confidence and independence for somebody living with dementia.

Establish a routine

Having a routine helps memory because repetition of the same tasks on a daily or weekly basis makes them a lot easier to remember.  It also improves wellbeing because it keeps you active and promotes independence

Maintaining the same routine, or as close to it as possible, as you’ve had for most of your adult life is extremely beneficial. For example, if you used to wake up, go jogging, shower, dress, eat breakfast and go to work every morning, your adapted daily routine could be to wake up, go for a walk, shower, dress, eat breakfast and go out, even if it’s just to the shops.

A good addition to an evening routine is making time every night to organise the next day. Writing down any appointments, choosing an outfit and making sure you’ve got enough cash in your wallet will save time in the morning and improve your chances of remembering what you’re doing. Doing this in advance takes pressure off, needing to remember something quickly can cause brain fog or confusion. Planning your day the night before is a great way to organise yourself and remember things without stress.

Get a dementia clock to aid memory

It can be difficult for people with dementia to remember what day and time it is, especially if they do not have a routine or are sleeping during the day.

Dementia clocks are usually digital clocks that will display the time, day of the week, date, year, whether it’s morning or afternoon and sometimes the season. You can look at the dementia clock at any time for reassurance and without having to ask somebody what day or time it is. Some people have one upstairs in their bedroom and another in their lounge or kitchen.

Use black or whiteboard for reminders

Writing down notes to remember is vital for organisation if you have memory impairment. Both the process of writing it down and having the note as a reminder are extremely effective. However, too many notes can soon become confusing and overwhelming. Temporary notes give clear information and avoid confusion. 

Use paper or electronic diary

As well as helping to organise future appointments and meet-ups, diaries can help people with retrospect. It’s useful to know what happened and when, or to note down information you’ve been told on a certain day. A4 diaries provide lots of space to write down everything you want to remember each day, whether it’s from a conversation you had that day or remembering an important event, such as your granddaughter’s first day at university. Many electronic diaries allow you to add notes to each entry, so that no useful detail need be left out.

Manage tasks with checklists

Having handy checklists around the house is an efficient way to remember daily tasks. For example, having a list by the front door of everything you need to take with you when you go out, such as keys, wallet, umbrella etc. is very effective. You could have a list by the washing machine where you keep track of when you’ve done your laundry or a weekly to-do list of household chores that you tick off.

Make contact easier with dementia phones

Remembering phone numbers or even how to use some phones can be very difficult when you live with memory problems, which can be very serious in an emergency. Using phones can be particularly tricky for people with Parkinson’s Disease, as shaking hands make typing the correct numbers more challenging.

Home and mobile phones are available to buy that simplify making calls. They often have large buttons and numbers for easy reading. There is space for either photos or names which you programme the numbers of your close or emergency contacts into, such as your spouse, so you can quickly call them without having to find or dial numbers.

Keep on top of medication with an alarmed Dosette box

Remembering to take medication is obviously important but can be surprisingly difficult. Pharmacies will usually put prescription medication in a Dosette box, a plastic container that groups medication in doses for the week. Despite this ensuring that the correct medication and dosage is taken, remembering to take it at the wrong time can mean that people take their morning and evening medication too close together, which can be dangerous.

If you or your loved one does not receive a Dosette box, they are inexpensive to buy from pharmacies or online. You can also buy ones with alarms to remind you to take your medication at set times of the day.

Declutter your environment

They say a tidy house makes for a tidy mind and there is certainly truth to that. Keeping your care home clean and organised can reduce your chances of feeling overwhelmed, not to mention help you to find things without having to remember where you dropped them. Experiment with labels and storage methods to help and consider getting rid of possessions you don’t need anymore. You might even want to rearrange your furniture or redecorate in a way that will help your memory, such as using dementia-friendly colours and or themes.

Read books

Reading is proven to boost your brainpower, keeping you more engaged and able to process information. Avoid television, especially watching for the sake of it, and immerse yourself in a good book. Mystery novels are especially good for getting your mind remembering and analysing details and situations.

You may notice that after making this change, your memory improves. Keeping your mind active, such as through reading or learning a language, is a key memory aid for dementia. It is known the strengthen neural pathways to help to prevent dementia or help with symptoms.

Keep busy

While a routine is very beneficial, it’s important to keep your days varied so that they don’t blur into one in your memory. Take advantage of the activities the home has to offer and get out and about as much as possible. Keeping active and social stimulates your brain and helps you form new memories.