JADCOM Media

Explore, Discover, Learn, Engage, Thrive

memory joggers
HealthPopular

Memory Joggers

JADCOM

 Links to Amazon and other retailers on this page can be affiliate links or other sponsored advertising.
When you click and/or make a purchase, JADCOM Media LLC may earn a small commission. Thank you.

Welcome to Memory Joggers!

Memory Joggers is a fun, engaging activity to enjoy with a loved one with early memory loss. Each one is a common phrase to read aloud, asking the player to provide the last word to complete it. Now, an entirely new collection is offered here on JADCOM Media, the new home of Memory Joggers!

Whether you care for a loved one living with early mild cognitive impairment or any of the dementias, you know first hand the gradual decline in mental acuity. From occasional forgetfulness to frequent disorientation – you’ve seen it all.

Declining mental acuity: challenging for everyone? Of course. Is it possible to help those with memory loss put up a fight? Absolutely!



There’s light at the end of the…

The goal is to engage your person with memory decline to search the memory banks for the word “TUNNEL!”

How Memory Joggers Works

A Memory Jogger is a familiar phrase. There are 20 Memory Joggers per volume. The phrases are provided, leaving just the last word to be recalled. The reason for just one word is due to the wide range of cognitive challenges people face.

Each volume is available as an easy-to-use PDF or viewable as a video on YouTube. That means you can use them from your electronic device or print out the one-page format. Each volume supports the science of strengthening memories each time a piece of trivia is recalled.



Fun New Game

Introduce it as a “fun new game” the two of you (or group!) can play. Simply read the phrase and wait patiently and quietly for them to consider and respond.

If you happen to be working with a person or group with a higher cognition level, prompt them with fewer words, asking them to complete more of the phrase. You may not need to read the entire phrase.

Another option is to speak the prompting words at the beginning of the phrase slowly, allowing them to complete it as soon as it comes to them and shout it out.

Competition could be a good thing – in certain group conditions!

Two Formats Available: YouTube and PDFs

To provide the flexibility you need in your caregiving, Memory Joggers is available in two different formats.

Memory Joggers on YouTube!

If your care recipient enjoys “screen time” then YouTube is a great way to engage with Memory Joggers. They are also a great way to entertain a group of people in a community setting by setting up a certain YouTube Playlist to run on a large screen TV in a common area.

Each Memory Joggers “movie” is carefully built to allow comfortable timing as each Memory Jogger unfolds. It gives your care recipient time to formulate the answer. After a brief pause, the screen advances gently to the next Memory Jogger.

Be sure to visit the Memory Joggers YouTube channel to subscribe (it’s free!) That way, you’ll be alerted when a new video arrives. The individual Memory Joggers in each video aligns with the corresponding PDF volume. See below for convenient links to both the YouTube videos and the PDFs.

Here’s a sample video:

PDFs: Downloadable, Printable, Displayable

dementia recall activity
PDF Example

In addition to many General Topics editions, there are specially-themed editions for the changing seasons, holidays, and even childhood fun! Again, more to come!

General Topics:

Seasons/Holidays:

Childhood:

Geography:

More are on the way, so check back often!



The best thing since…

Memory Joggers isn’t sliced bread, but it may become your favorite engagement activity!

Guided Reminiscence

Pause the Memory Jogger videos at any time to practice some Reminiscence Therapy. Use any Memory Jogger to pose open ended, thought provoking questions to extend the recall benefits.

Background Music

Each Memory Jogger movie has a pleasant background music track. This happy, but calming music is intentionally selected for each movie. Be sure to adjust the volume on your phone, tablet, or computer in advance so you won’t get any loud surprises!

Subscribe Today!

Watch Volume 1 below, then subscribe to the Memory Joggers YouTube Channel and be alerted when each new movie arrives!

How Does Recall Work?

When we experience something, many, many bits of information gets stored in various ways and in various locations in our brains. Science tells us recalling trivia or having our memories “jogged” reassembles those fragments of recollections stored in multiple parts of the brain.

Recalling a memory is like assembling the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. During memory recall, we replay the neural activity that was originally generated in the brain when that event occurred.

For those of you of a “certain age” you may remember the DEFRAG command on old PCs. This took the various pieces of files stored on the hard drive and reassembled them in contiguous areas on the drive. This helped the computer find the files more quickly when needed. (Sorry for geeking out, but it really is a similar process!)

When our brains are done with that bit of recall, we put it back into memory, thereby strengthening it for the next recall! You can learn more about the science from The Human Memory.

Brain Games - Jeopardy!: Puzzles and Games to Help You Become a Quiz Show Master
Buy on Amazon

We’ve all had those moments:

  • A certain taste takes us back to our childhood.
  • That song we haven’t heard in years and it reminds us about the elementary school dance.
  • Trying to come up with that actor’s name in that movie you love, and how good it feels when you finally “GET IT!”

Trivia Spans Generations

Jeopardy originally aired in 1964. 1964! While it was off the air from 1975 to 1984, it’s been on the air ever since. Even the Jeopardy theme music gets hummed in our household when we are teasing a family member about how long something is taking!

Why is trivia fun? It’s challenging, competitive, and as we’ve already learned, recalling information is healthy!

A penny saved is a penny…

For Our International Friends

It is understood the phrases contained in Memory Joggers are mostly U.S.-centric. However, it is great to have friends and followers from all around the world.

Please feel free to use Memory Joggers to any extent possible. Then, use them to get creative and add your own phrases appropriate for you in Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, and beyond. The phrases may be different, but the benefits are the same!

Send Us Yours!

Speaking of future volumes, you can help us help you! We have many, MANY Memory Joggers ready to provide to you, but we absolutely don’t have them all. Think about the phrases you and your parents and your grandparents used to say. Please send them in to be added to future volumes.

Everyone contributes; everyone benefits.

Enjoy Memory Joggers! The hope is that you will have as much fun and beneficial experiences using them, as was enjoyed when gathering them!

My very best to you and your families!

Dave Wiederrich
JADCOM Media LLC

Join the Email List

With your email only, you can start receiving your own updates!

 


You May Also Like

tummy time activities for 5 month old

Best Tummy Time Tips and Activities for Baby Fun

JADCOM
cribbage for seniors

Cribbage for Seniors: Card & Board Game Benefits

JADCOM
telemedicine vs virtual care

Telemedicine vs Virtual Care: What’s the Difference?

JADCOM