This month is National Memoir Writing Month. People are encouraged to write things down to keep the memories of their lives alive. A memoir is a collection of a person’s memories and while the thought of writing her memoir may seem overwhelming to your loved one, there are a lot of ways you can help her get started and continue on it until she feels it is completed.
A memoir doesn’t have to be a formal book and it doesn’t have to follow any set of rules. It’s basically a compilation of your loved one’s memories and stories so that they can be shared throughout the generations of today and tomorrow. Your loved one can decide if she wants to try to do it chronologically or in another format.
Have Home Care Assist
It can also be a wonderful idea to have someone assist while your loved one records her memories. She might want it done more privately so she can present it to you completed. A home care provider that she trusts can help her with compiling notes or organizing her memories until she’s ready to present them to the family. A home care provider could also help record them if she needs help typing them onto a laptop or writing them into a book. A home care provider can also be a great help because of their unbiased view of the stories she is about to share, unlike family members who might have their own spin on those same stories.
Where To Start
If wondering how to organize her memoir, your loved one has the creative ability to do it however best suits her. While many people will stick with a chronological order, your loved one may choose to group her memories by location, favorites, or time periods. It’s not important how she organizes it, especially at the beginning of writing her memoir. The first step is just getting those stories recorded.
If your loved one doesn’t know where to start, family members may be able to prompt her stories, by asking her to remember a certain time in her life or encouraging her with questions about specific people in her life. Many bookstores and online shopping sites have books your loved one can write her memories in. These fill-in-the-blank style books have fun questions to awaken those memories long since forgotten. They may ask “What was a favorite treat you enjoyed as a child?” or “Who was your first celebrity crush?” These little questions might have a quick answer or they might open up the memories to a much longer and richer story.
Look at Old Photos
Another way to help bring those memories to life is to look at old photos. For each photo, ask your loved one about the people in it , the place they were, and what they were doing. Putting those photos in a photo album with a short write-up next to them is a great way to create a memoir.
Writing a memoir can take a long time, so start this November during National Memoir Writing Month before it’s too late.
If you or an aging loved one are considering Home Care in Goodyear, AZ please contact the caring staff at Blessings! for Seniors Companion Care today. Call (623) 594-0819
Blessings! for Seniors Companion Care, is a top provider of home care services in Goodyear, Avondale, Buckeye, Glendale, Peoria, Litchfield Park, Sun City, Sun City West, Tolleson, Phoenix, Youngtown, Surprise and surrounding areas.
Blessings for Seniors makes it possible for older adults to enjoy the comforts of their own home for as long as possible. We offer a customized care plan that includes services such as; Hourly Senior Home Care, 24-Hour Home Care, Dementia Care, Personal Care and Companion Care. Also ask us about our Veterans’ Home Care program.
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