False teeth, smelling salts and old perfume bottles are just some of the items being used to help dementia sufferers with their memories.
Staff at the Orders of the St John Trust Care Homes have been trawling charity shops, car boot sales, sheds and garages to find old items to use in special boxes for their ‘reminiscence sessions’, run at the trust’s 17 Oxfordshire homes to encourage dementia sufferers to relive happy memories.
At Marston Court Care Home, in Marston, they have been recounting memories from days gone by after rifling through the boxes.
Eleanor Clifford, 88, said: “It was a lovely idea having a Memory Box. It brings back memories of things we used in those days, compared to what we have today.”
The home’s dementia champion Diane Davidson is pictured with activities coordinator Paul Lucas.
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