Why this matters when caring for someone with Alzheimer’s:

🌲Is there anyone who doesn’t stand up a little taller when having a photograph taken?
🌲This featured photo was recorded ten years following Mother’s diagnosis of Alzheimer’s. I had photographed her many times.
🌲Why did it matter? Over a 14-year period of being together, she was always ready for a “photo op” – until her few final months of being bedfast.
🌲She enjoyed being photographed and we had fun doing it together!

How to do it:

🌲Since Miss Ethel enjoyed this special time together, it was very easy. For this photo, I asked, “Are you ready for your Christmas photo? Is this a good time?”

🌲A theme, a holiday, birthday or anniversary – or no special day at all! Wear the colors of the day. If someone happens to drop by to see your loved one, take the photo with that special person. Children and pets welcome!

🌲Add a hat, costume jewelry, or a scarf at the neck wrapped with a little flair.

🌲A little facial moisturizer and a comb-through would make it perfect. Bring out the mirror for a final check before the photo.

Pro tip:

🌲A Sunday special event perhaps…? When my father was still living, we frequently took a series of photos on the weekend just to entertain ourselves when the ranch was very quiet with no one else around! The three of us would be dressed in the same color, wearing Western hats, and, on occasion, would be singing together. If not singing, we always had on the music of the season. Always.

🌲In the early 2000’s, the “selfie” had not yet emerged! Perhaps we were the first selfies…?

🌲We captured many “series” of memories with a Canon Camcorder, tripod, and remote control.

🌲When guests stopped in, we frequently brought out the camcorder and tripod – to create a memory of their visit. It would be printed and on their table-top tripod the following morning.

Comfort note:

🌲If centering on the loved one does not elicit fun, a smile, a positive response, just postpone for the moment. If your loved one is too tired or sleepy, just wait until “later.”

Novelty Journaling – an important step in “365 Ways to Say I Care”

🌲One meaningful moment a day – and jot it down in a log so you can relive the memory the following morning at breakfast.

🌲Regarding this featured photo op, I commented in our Memory Journal about my mother’s quick response to the suggestion of a Christmas photo. I was not quick enough to offer her any props, but SHE quickly picked up the poinsettia from the piano on her own for this series of photos!

🌲We could safely conclude that she liked being photographed! It was just one of our many ways to communicate at a time when words began to elude us.

Example moment:

🌲Whenever I took photos of my parents, I would select several to print out late at night and attach to the table-top tripod for them to be able to relive those moments again the following morning during breakfast.

🌲Sometimes, we would put the photos in gold frames, wrap them in Christmas paper, and give them as gifts.

🌲And sometimes we printed on quality stock paper and then sent to Mother and Dad’s Christmas card list as a Christmas post card.

🌲As part of our journaling at the ranch, we loaded 8 x 11 photos into the transparent plastic pages of Memory Journals to correspond with our typed daily entries.

 Caregiver note:

🌲Next to making music together (our most enjoyable moments), photography was one of our most FUN activities. Recommended frequently – as often as possible!

Additional notes:

🌲Prior to the photo op, we had both become very ENERGIZED by our musical workout at the piano. She articulated the lyrics perfectly when singing. (It was breathtaking!) But the spoken word began to escape us within the two years following this photo series. Our Christmas repertoire included the following:

🌲Traditional Christmas carols – all verses!

🌲The Twelve Days of Christmas (Frederic Austin)

🌲O, Holy Night (Adolphe Adam)

🌲Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring (Johann Sebastian Bach)

🌲The Hallelujah Chorus (George Frideric Handel)

 

Result? This photo op captured Miss Ethel at her best.

This Christmas photo was taken 10 years following my mother's diagnosis of Alzheimer's. That evening, we were energized by having sung many Christmas carols at the piano. I suggested we take her Christmas photo. Without saying a word, she picked up the poinsettia from the piano and sat down next to the piano ready to be photographed. This showed her quick response, understanding, and desire to get into the action. She liked being photographed.    This Christmas photo was taken 10 years following my mother's diagnosis of Alzheimer's. That evening, we were energized by having sung many Christmas carols at the piano. I suggested we take her Christmas photo. Without saying a word, she picked up the poinsettia from the piano and sat down next to the piano ready to be photographed. This showed her quick response, understanding, and desire to get into the action. She liked being photographed.     This Christmas photo was taken 10 years following my mother's diagnosis of Alzheimer's. That evening, we were energized by having sung many Christmas carols at the piano. I suggested we take her Christmas photo. Without saying a word, she picked up the poinsettia from the piano and sat down next to the piano ready to be photographed. This showed her quick response, understanding, and desire to get into the action. She liked being photographed.    This Christmas photo was taken 10 years following my mother's diagnosis of Alzheimer's. That evening, we were energized by having sung many Christmas carols at the piano. I suggested we take her Christmas photo. Without saying a word, she picked up the poinsettia from the piano and sat down next to the piano ready to be photographed. This showed her quick response, understanding, and desire to get into the action. She liked being photographed.

 

Blog Author:

Susan Troyer, MS, BA, is author and curator of ABeautifulVoice.org.

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