The grant has allowed me to get to know each participant through relaxed interviews. Through photographing and video recording our sessions, I ask them to tell stories about their lives and sift through old photographs and mementos. Prior to our interview session, each dementia participant (and family member assisting the dementia participant) fills out a Memory Sheet, by writing a one-sentence description of 30 of his/ her favorite or most powerful memories. These memories could include a simple memory like the birth of a child, or a favorite food. Other memories could be more specific, for instance (wanting to grow up to be Jean Harlow as a child.)

After the interview session with the family member and Alzheimer's participant, my graphic designer and I create personalized 4” x 4” memory cards from scanned in photographs or illustrations of 16 of those 30 memories. On one side of the card will have an image based on their memory as well as the one-sentence description to reinforce the memory underneath the image. On the back of each card will be a specialized logo created of their name to keep track of their memories from other participants involved in the project. Each set of cards will be kept in a customized game box designed similarly to their personalized logo, again, to help keep their memories separate from others.

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