Have you ever traveled to Old Sturbridge Village, or Colonial Williamsburg? Comparing these experiences to the present day makes it almost impossible to believe that anybody ever lived like that! Times now, are changing faster than ever before. Don’t believe me? Think about how many smartphones you have had in the past 5 years vs how many landlines prior to that. Do you remember AIM instant messenger and pagers? Did you ever imagine that you would not only be able to pull something out of your pocket that you would use to message, call, email, get news, weather, and directions, play games, and let you hunt mythical creatures during commercial breaks on the subway? Want to travel back, just 10 years and say that to your parents? Is you laughed at any of this, then you understand exactly what I am saying!

Technology evolves at a breakneck speed, and the word “obsolete” is thrown around as soon as you begin pulling back the tape to unwrap the box that holds your new device. How old were you when you learned to use a computer? How old was your child? Technology is amazing, but to take a step back into time you don’t need to be an admission fee and travel several hours. You can just go to Grandma’s.

As your elderly loved ones begin to age, they struggle to do the things that they used to accomplish easily. They likely would appreciate to help, but often struggle with losing their independence and don’t want to admit they need the help, Instead of arguing, try engaging them!

Next time you throw in a load of laundry, ask them what laundry was like when they were a child, a laugh is almost 100% guaranteed at this point, because they are thinking “you have NO idea how easy you have it”! Take charge of the chore, while they settle into tell you about the way it used to be. Ask them same types of questions for washing dishes, making supper, sweeping floors, doing yard work, The more interested you are, the more they will think about it, and when you return next time they are likely to say “I was thinking about the question you asked the other day and I thought of a story I wanted to share with you!”

Day to day living is very different than it was 70 years ago, and technology has played a huge role in those changes. The convenience of home based appliances is something that we couldn’t imagine life without, but your elders will clearly remember a time when that was an unheard of luxury.

When you engage your elderly loved ones in memory activities, you are also giving them something to think about when you or a caregiver isn’t there, Instead of allowing them to be absorbed with aches, pains, and illnesses, help stimulate their mind back to a time they had forgotten but remember as if it was yesterday, That distraction you provide, and the genuine interest you show in their lives, is some of the best “medicine” available.