The Basics

Memory is a dynamic, active three stage process. The three stages are:

The Storage bit is actually quite well preserved in many cases of poor memory. The problems arise when the Input and Retrieval do not happen as well as they used to.

Because these are dynamic processes you can help by making the Input and the Retrieval easier for somebody with a poor memory. (if you have difficulty seeing what this means then consider how you would go about making something difficult for somebody to remember, eg a date and time for an appointment. You would tell the in a quiet voice in a noisy room with plenty of distractions, you would not repeat yourself nor ask them to repeat the information to you, you would tell them when they were highly stressed and you would not write it down. At retrieval you would give no clues, cues or hints about the right date and time, you would scornfully indicate that only a fool would not remember this information, you would press the person to hurry up, and so on.)

Making Input and Retrieval easier is something that many people do naturally. If you have a poor memory or are living with somebody with a poor memory, then it may make sense to become even better and to build in this memory assistance systematically.

INPUT

Memories are always strengthened if a bit of 'brain work' is done at the time they are laid down. This may simply mean making sure that you pay attention. At a higher level it may mean making some sort of judgement about the information to be remembered. So, if asked to learn my name, Paul Whitby, I might suggest 'The surname is the name of a town in Yorkshire, where  Captain Cook came from'. 

Reduce  distractions. This is especially important for somebody who is  hard of hearing. Any effort that  goes into hearing what you are saying will detract from the laying down of memory. It is the easiest thing in the world to outpace and overwhelm somebody with a poor memory. So, slow down, use short sentences, speak clearly. One to one conversations are so much better than even medium sized groups. Repeat what is to be learned and ask the person to repeat it back to you.

Try to make the to be learned information relevant to the person and if possible tie it in with something they already know.

If you are giving directions (how to get from a bedroom to a toilet in a strange building) then  the memory is laid down far stronger if you go through the physical motions with the person rather than just telling them.

If you can make the process a bit of fun, have a bit of a fanfare. Reducing anxiety helps enormously.

RETRIEVAL

If possible give cues or hints, or multiple choices. These are 'aids' to memory retrieval and will always increase the chances of success.

Try	Not
"Did you go out with your son or daughter yesterday?"	"What did you do yesterday?"
"The surname begins with W, like the town in Yorkshire."	"What is my name?"

The 'Fading Cues' page describes a method of making sure that somebody gets the answer right with as much cueing or hinting as they need (and it might be a lot) before reducing the amount of cueing gradually. This is useful but is best used occasionally and only for really important information as it is time consuming.

Reducing anxiety helps. Make sure the memory sufferer is not put 'on the spot' in a way that might make them feel they have to perform well. Humiliation is always to be avoided.

As you will see whenever you do some Reminiscence with somebody cues can be photos, music, smells etc that can stimulate a great stream of memories. These cues can be a key to unlocking a great store of long term memories that have lain hidden for years. They are not specific in the sense of the cues on the Fading Cues page, they are more general and the results can be wonderfully unpredictable.