Spending time with seniors is probably the best gift you give them.  So why not make a fun family project out of it?  Here are some ideas that will allow you to spend time with the people you love and create great memories for the future.

When spending time with your loved one, showing an interest in their past can trigger magical memories you may have never known and provide you a wealth of stories to pass on to grandkids and future generations.  For example, you may start by asking a senior to gather special mementos and photographs they may have saved over the years.   They can get out all the little things that people save over the years that remind us of who we are and where we’ve been.  You want to capture all their emotions and excitement about these keepsakes.  So maybe you could have them create a scrapbook / journal.  They can write about the people in the photographs or the moments surrounding a memento.  You’ll be amazed at the journeys they’ve taken and all the little details they remember.  This is even great for people with onset dementia or memory loss.  Remembering what happened today or last week may be difficult for them but insights from decades ago can often stay with them.

Want to create an oral history of your loved one?  The National Public Radio founded a nonprofit organization named StoryCorps ©.  They record the personal history of people’s lives onto CD and then preserve them at the Library of Congress.  This audio is saved for all future generations and is completely free for everyone.  You can find out more information by visiting their website at www.storycorps.org

Where did I come from?  How about creating a family tree with your loved one?  You can start a genealogy project and use photos to develop a photographed family tree.  This is a great way to learn about your family’s history and with all the online resources now available a project like this is easier than ever.

Why not create a digital photo album?  You can take all your favorite photographs with your one and create a DVD that plays the pictures in a slide show.  Just start by scanning all the photos into your computer.  You can then add captions describing the moments or add music or audio to best capture your seniors’ history.  This is a great way to preserve the past and tell our loved one’s story.

These are just some of the ways you can spend time with your loved and create a historical record that shares insights you may have never known previously.  The most of important part of this is spending time with those you love and sharing fond memories together.  These projects of course also create new memories.

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