Why Memory Boxes are a Powerful Tool for Those with Dementia

For the last 20 years, at Beechcroft Care Homes we have provided the highest quality support for those living with a wide spectrum of care needs, including dementia. Ensuring every resident receives the best care, we use an array of thoughtful practices and activities that are individually tailored. 

One of the best care tools we encourage for those living with dementia are memory boxes. Bespoke keepsakes, these brilliant memory aids can provide an invaluable link to the past and help boost comfort and confidence in a world that can otherwise feel confusing and disorientating at times.

If you are considering how to create a memory box for dementia, either for yourself or a loved one, here are some tips to help you.

What is a Memory Box?

A memory box for dementia is a collection of personal items and meaningful mementos. Offering a unique gateway to the past, these boxes are completely bespoke and filled with relevant, sensitive, and engaging items. Designed to protect memories, spark conversations, and offer comfort and support, they can be a really useful resource for those who are struggling with the challenges of dementia and want to preserve details of the past. 

Encouraging a purposeful and personal exploration of life history, memory boxes for dementia are often filled with cherished photographs, letters, ticket stubs, books, diaries, trinkets and more. To be as effective as possible, each item should really resonate with its owner so that they can keep rekindling with the people and places that mean the most to them.

Why Memory Boxes are So Effective for Dementia

Everybody’s life story is completely unique, composed of rich stories and complex journeys that combine to make a person who they are. For those living with dementia, it can be harder to recall certain memories over time and carry out activities that were once routine. Even recognising loved ones can become challenging as dementia progresses, making the world seem stressful and sometimes overwhelming.

That’s why memory boxes for dementia can be so effective, as it helps the owner to piece together details and remember important moments in their own life. As well as creating a sense of grounding for the owner of the memory box, these aids can also provide helpful cues for loved ones and caregivers to engage in meaningful conversation. Not only personal portals to the past, but memory boxes can encourage shared moments in the present, making it easier for those living with dementia to feel comforted and understood.

What to Include in a Memory Box

A memory box for dementia is a really useful tool to help those living with the disease to tap into long-term memories. They can also be really handy talking points for loved ones, forging a greater sense of connection for everyone. That said, one of the best things about these memory aids is that they are completely tailored to the individual and can offer a really fun and engaging way to rediscover personal histories. Just make sure that whatever you include is associated with happy times to encourage positive exploration of the past.

For example, photographs of family members, close friends, weddings, holidays, and childhood moments can be a really wonderful window into times gone by. Letters, postcards, newspaper clippings, certificates, travel tickets, favourite CDs, and cherished souvenirs can be too. You can also introduce tactile elements, such as beloved items of clothing items or favourite scents with perfumes or soaps. 

When curating these collections, it’s important to remember that all the value comes from the personal relevance, not the cost.

Tips for Creating and Using a Memory Box

-            Use a distinctive box or capsule that’s easy to access and get into.

-            Channel empathy and careful thought, avoiding mementos from sad or challenging times.

-            Involve the person living with dementia wherever possible – after all, this is for them!

-            Try to keep the contents of the memory box for dementia simple – overloading can be overwhelming.

-            Incorporate written items, as well as tactile and sensory items. Music in particular can be especially powerful and transporting. 

-            Consider labelling or making notes for each item to aid recognition, and also assist caregivers with conversational prompts.

-            Add in new items every now and then to add interest and tap into different memories.

Impact of Memory Boxes

At Beechcroft, we specialise in providing all of our residents with dedicated care from our experienced professionals. As part of our core values of family, care, love, fun and life, we make it a priority to offer a range of dementia care activities so that life can remain as enriching and rewarding as ever. Championing the use of bespoke memory aids, we’ve seen first-hand how a memory box for dementia can make a huge difference to someone living with the condition. Seeing residents reconnect with belongings from their past demonstrates how transformative it can be for boosting mood and reinforcing a much-needed sense of identity. Of course, as caregivers we also love to have insights into all of our residents’ past so we can share their journeys with them and spark meaningful conversations.