The aim of the 'Box of our Memories - Adult Education Caring for Memory Loss' (BooM) project is to improve the availability of reminiscence-based, digital, informal adult education interventions for seniors. The project aims to do this by extending the necessary knowledge, skills and competences for adult educators working in diverse fields from informal carers and family members, to volunteers and educational staff working in museums and archives. Reminiscence therapy is the use of life histories – written, oral, or both – to improve psychological well-being, especially with older persons. There is broadening evidence of the efficacy of non-medicinal interventions to alleviate the stressful effects of dementia, in particular the positive stimulus of interacting with music and digitally mediated imagery. Statistical analysis reveals significant improvement in respect of the pre and post questions about knowledge and skills in respect of dementia, reminiscence and life history, understanding and empathy towards PwDs (People with Dementia), competency in using reminiscence, objects or other tools (including photographs) to support or engage with PwDs and taking part and leading Memory Box sessions. The challenge presented by these types of intervention is how to make them easily accessible by those with cognitive impairment. [Improving the Quality of Life of Individuals with Dementia Using Personal Digital Media - Nayer K., Coxon S. (2020)]. The Box of our Memories project will benefit an increased number of seniors to go through reminiscence therapy. The so called reminiscence therapy is practiced in some parts of Europe and performed by many residential care facilities in the framework of non-pharmacological treatments for people with cognitive impairments and it is considered to be effective. The BooM project results: 1. We propose to develop a personalised digital memory box to collect media and artefacts to stimulate the person with dementia. ‘Box of our Memories’ will be a digital repository of media and artefacts to be used directly by people with dementia and supported by family members and carers. It will be a personal museum of content aimed to stimulate memory, improve mood and reduce agitated behaviour. It will also enable family members to learn more about their loved one. 2. An on-line informal Adult education tool kit to help informal carers, family members (maybe a grandchild for the grandparent) volunteers in the care sector and volunteers in archives and museums creating personalized digital Boxes and using them in support interventions targeting older persons with dementia . The project promotes adult informal learning as a way to respond to the many changes and challenges facing contemporary society. These include: • improving health and life expectancy and growing numbers of older people • supporting well-being and happiness • greater self-efficacy • increasing confidence • the ability to create support networks • healthier lifestyles. 3. An innovative formal Adult Education training methodology for adult educators, archive and museum education professionals, adult education professionals working in arts and culture working for people with dementia. The method is centred on utilising the on-line tool kit and is to be observed, practiced and critically evaluated by the partnership’s experts. The method is supported by recent research (cf. H. Chatterjee and others at University College London) To facilitate this, the projects Intellectual Outcomes are: 1. Methodology Handbook (ISBN and Online) including a process guide and Implementation Strategy for decision makers 2. An innovative formal Continuous Professional Development (CPD) training courses for adult educators 3. An online informal adult education toolkit for carers, family members, volunteers 4. The Box of our Memories Platform and App People with dementia, as the final target group, will be positively impacted from the project since at community level they will be able to access to more opportunities to receive tailor-made reminiscence sessions and to benefit from a raised awareness at national / regional level on the importance of making cultural heritage accessible to PwD. The project will have impact on stakeholders, such as professional boards of social workers / social pedagogues / psychologists; social service providers; museums curators and educators; public authorities managers, heads of compartments from health / social care / cultural fields , training providers, NGOs, as they will become aware of the importance of solitude issue and the need to implement a strategic approach to tackle it at local and national level.
The aim of the Box of our Memories project was to increase the accessibility of reminiscence-based, informal educational interventions for older adults with dementia and other manifestations of cognitive memory loss. The project's assumption was to develop an innovative informal adult education program dedicated to professionals from the GLAM sector (Galleries, Libraries, Archives, and Museums) and family members caring for individuals with such conditions. The program involved engaging end beneficiaries (individuals with dementia) in the educational process outside the formal training system. It was designed to be short-term and voluntary. The project's mission was to address the priority of developing the skills of adult educators to support the implementation of Dementia-Friendly Programs. It aimed to provide museum educators and family members with the necessary knowledge and skills to effectively engage and support individuals with dementia and cognitive memory loss. This reinforcement leads to improved caregiving practices and enhances the quality of life for seniors with these conditions.
Contemporary societies are aging, leading to an increase in the number of people affected by dementia and other memory-related conditions. There is an urgent need for effective interventions and tools that will help these individuals maintain their quality of life and preserve their memories. Moreover, a lack of available suitable resources has been diagnosed. There are limited educational and therapeutic programs available for individuals with dementia, especially those based on reminiscence. The "Box of our Memories" project aimed to address this gap by providing innovative and personalized tools for reminiscence therapy in close collaboration with GLAM sector institutions. Another premise was to improve the quality of care for older persons. The project sought to enhance the care provided to older adults, particularly those suffering from dementia, by stimulating their memory, cognitive abilities, and emotions through digital memory boxes. Equally important was the support for informal caregivers. The "Box of our Memories" project aimed not only to help individuals with dementia but also to support their informal caregivers, who often face difficulties and challenges associated with caring for persons with memory disorders.