Memory Boxes

By Rachel Parker. If you have visited Silverado in the last few months, you’ve probably seen the empty glass-front boxes being installed outside of the rooms. As Laura Bourret described it at February’s Family Council meeting, these are part of Silverado’s effort to keep its care-providers engaged with residents. Studies have shown that the day-to-day care providers in nursing homes, assisted living, and memory care communities often end up equating the residents with the tasks to be performed: give a bath to room 4; a walk to room 49; lunch to room 12. The individuality of the resident is lost as the caregivers focus on their tasks.

To address this and improve care, the Silverado has embraced the memory box feature. Residents’ families are urged to assemble items that represent the fullness of the resident’s life — accomplishments, passions, and interests. As the daily care providers go into a resident’s room, they are reminded of his or her life before entering the community. A caregiver who arrives to bathe or help dress your parent may see that they share an interest in cars and start a conversation about Mustang vs. Mazda, for example. The staff stresses that the memory boxes should not include juvenile-themed items, unless they are part of the resident’s interest in adulthood– say dolls would be appropriate for a resident who spent years as an antique doll collector.

I’ve gathered things that reflect my mother’s education and professional achievements; her love of golf, art, and travel; and her place in the family as a beloved mother and grandmother. Awards, images of her paintings, and photos of family members are part of the collection. I may even find an appropriately sized map to show all the places she’s been.

Silverado is asking families to complete their loved one’s memory boxes by April 9. You can bring the items to the community and ask for the key, or ask Laurel Mallett, Director of Resident and Family Services, for assistance.