The Flowers of Memory Garden

by Patricia E. Moniot

Patricia is one of our Contributing Writers.

My friend Mary Helen Smith has created a ministry of helping Alzheimer’s patients in a unique way. She puts together and takes to nursing homes jigsaw puzzles whose scenes remind patients of happy memories; one may see depictions/pictures of an old-fashioned kitchen, a trolley, a water closet, a hummingbird, and a young person reading a Bible under a tree. She reports that these pictures bring happy tears to the eyes of Alzheimer’s patients who can remember, if only briefly, happier times.

Recently, my group, the Key Notes, performed music and comedy at Memory Garden, a home for patients with Alzheimer’s disease. We had been forewarned by the staff that the patients would sit still for only twenty minutes before they became restless, and that we were not going to have any success in telling jokes because the people were unable to appreciate humor.

However, we picked out songs, sing alongs and hymns that jogged the patients’ memories. To our surprise, everybody joined in and knew all the verses, and one joke led to another. After more than an hour of merrymaking, everyone still seemed happy, even asking for requests.

At Memory Garden, the staff works every day with the residents to practice songs and support their mental strengths. This reinforces my idea that such patients need entertainment, simulation, and ways to participate in worthwhile activities. Perhaps their families can also join in and improve the quality of life of their loved ones in homes like Memory Garden.