1940s-style room helps dementia patients recall the past
<p id="yui_3_16_0_1_1447968647113_100683" class="yiv2406586101MsoNormal"><span>There are about 298,000 people in Australia who have dementia. For them, memory is transient, and something as special as a first kiss or childhood friend can be lost in the dark well of this heart-breaking condition. But doctors at an American care facility might have found the answer to recalling these lost memories.</span></p>
<p id="yui_3_16_0_1_1447968647113_100687" class="yiv2406586101MsoNormal"><span>A Pennsylvania practice, known as The Easton Home, have purpose-built a room which allow residents with dementia to almost literally step back into the past. The room is decorated in 1940s-style wallpaper, complete with a traditional fireplace, early model television and grandfather clock.</span></p>
<p id="yui_3_16_0_1_1447968647113_100710" class="yiv2406586101MsoNormal"><span>The purpose of the room is to stimulate memories. “The benefits of reminiscence therapy is that it taps into memories that are well-learned,” Dr Jason Karlawish, Co-Director of the Penn Memory Center told The Associated Press. It helps residence recall old memories, such as those attached to a smell or music.</span></p>
<p id="yui_3_16_0_1_1447968647113_100712" class="yiv2406586101MsoNormal">And it’s clear that residents love it. “It just takes them back to a place that they’re familiar with,” says Jennifer Woolley of the Easton House. “They can talk about their stories and share their experiences.”</p>
<p class="yiv2406586101MsoNormal"><span>Harry Lomping, whose partner has Alzheimer’s disease, explains that it allows him to relive moments that he wouldn’t otherwise be able to; it feels real.</span></p>
<p id="yui_3_16_0_1_1447968647113_100750" class="yiv2406586101MsoNormal"><span>“I think it revives something, some feelings. It seems to, anyhow,” he says in a video by The Associated Press.</span></p>
<p id="yui_3_16_0_1_1447968647113_100755" class="yiv2406586101MsoNormal"><span>Admittedly, doctors say that the old-style room won’t change the course of the disease for residents, but it can have a positive impact on behaviour and mood. But if it allows those with dementia to grasp precious memories, even for a fleeting moment, then really, that’s all that counts. </span></p>
