“The Memory of McGuffey “
Cognitive Memory Care Program developed specifically for elderly people with memory impairment
Elderly people with memory issues often remember the past better than current events. With this expected outcome, the author (D. Simmons) created a cognitive program that consists reading classic poems and stories to the seniors that they might have learned as children. This activity helps to stimulate memories and provides enjoyment for both the caregivers and people afflicted with dementia.
One of the best known school books in the history of American education was the 19th century McGuffey Readers. It is estimated that at least 120 million copies of McGuffey's Readers were sold between 1836 and 1960, placing its sales in a category with the Bible and Webster's Dictionary. McGuffey's Readers are still in use today in some school systems, and by parents for homeschooling purposes. Henry Ford cited McGuffey's Readers as one of his most important childhood influences. Ford republished all six Readers from the 1857 edition, and distributed complete sets of them, at his own expense, to schools across the United States.
The goal is to stimulate memories and provide enjoyment for people afflicted with dementia. Group members share memories from their childhood, connected with McGuffey's readers and enter the roles of their teachers, parents, siblings, etc. Group members, even in an advanced stage of Alzheimer's, are able to function very well cognitively, during the sessions. As elderly people may experience various mental and physical conditions, applying Psychodrama methods requires innovative approaches and modalities of the techniques. Implementing Psychodrama modalities as a therapy for elderly with Dementia and Alzheimer’s is exceptionally challenging; at the same time, using those methods can be extremely successful in order to provide cognitive therapy for those elderly people. The program connects the Psychodrama Therapy with Gerontology in order to show successful practices and to suggest alternative approaches in consulting with elderly people in order to stabilize and improve their mental health and emotional status.
Cognitive Memory Care Program developed specifically for elderly people with memory impairment
Elderly people with memory issues often remember the past better than current events. With this expected outcome, the author (D. Simmons) created a cognitive program that consists reading classic poems and stories to the seniors that they might have learned as children. This activity helps to stimulate memories and provides enjoyment for both the caregivers and people afflicted with dementia.
One of the best known school books in the history of American education was the 19th century McGuffey Readers. It is estimated that at least 120 million copies of McGuffey's Readers were sold between 1836 and 1960, placing its sales in a category with the Bible and Webster's Dictionary. McGuffey's Readers are still in use today in some school systems, and by parents for homeschooling purposes. Henry Ford cited McGuffey's Readers as one of his most important childhood influences. Ford republished all six Readers from the 1857 edition, and distributed complete sets of them, at his own expense, to schools across the United States.
The goal is to stimulate memories and provide enjoyment for people afflicted with dementia. Group members share memories from their childhood, connected with McGuffey's readers and enter the roles of their teachers, parents, siblings, etc. Group members, even in an advanced stage of Alzheimer's, are able to function very well cognitively, during the sessions. As elderly people may experience various mental and physical conditions, applying Psychodrama methods requires innovative approaches and modalities of the techniques. Implementing Psychodrama modalities as a therapy for elderly with Dementia and Alzheimer’s is exceptionally challenging; at the same time, using those methods can be extremely successful in order to provide cognitive therapy for those elderly people. The program connects the Psychodrama Therapy with Gerontology in order to show successful practices and to suggest alternative approaches in consulting with elderly people in order to stabilize and improve their mental health and emotional status.
"The Memory of McGuffey's" will be soon offered for sale from AIHRA.
It consists of:
- A booklet with instructions and leading assessment tools;
- A 7 volume set of McGuffy's Readers scanned onto CD-ROM that permits making various copies;
- For visual enjoyment, an antique McGuffey’s eclectic third reader book ; -
- For the residents’ listening pleasure, a McGuffy's reader audio CD.
It consists of:
- A booklet with instructions and leading assessment tools;
- A 7 volume set of McGuffy's Readers scanned onto CD-ROM that permits making various copies;
- For visual enjoyment, an antique McGuffey’s eclectic third reader book ; -
- For the residents’ listening pleasure, a McGuffy's reader audio CD.