British writer Beth Britton will be spending Christmas with relatives in South Africa. But things this year will be different than they have been before, because one of her relatives is suffering from dementia.
Britton has been writing about dementia and supporting families in which a member has dementia ever since her father, who was suffering from the condition, passed away. As she has done so, she has learned a lot about what helps people with dementia.
Included in Britton’s gift giving for her relative with dementia are a number of products from Unforgettable, a McKesson Ventures portfolio company. Unforgettable produces items such as dementia clocks, dementia-friendly remote controls, and puzzle books that can help sufferers have the best possible quality of life and remain independent for as long as possible.
Britton elected to buy a dementia clock with reminders since her loved one is diabetic and needs to take medications and eat on a regular schedule. She also bought a personalized memory book and made printed copies of 90 old photos, which the family will be putting together and captioning while in South Africa.
In addition to memory books, Britton also recommends music and old films or TV series as holiday gifts and reminiscence aids. “Never underestimate the power that small modifications/products/technological solutions can have on preserving the person’s independence and enabling them to live as well as possible.”
Read Britton’s full essay in HuffPost UK.