Historical Society Launches New Interactive Aid for People With Dementia

The Minnesota Historical Society (MNHS) has launched a dementia awareness program developed in Britain for caregivers, reports the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder . The program features a first-ever "My House of Memories" app with more than 100 interactive pages of MNHS collection ideas to help those living with dementia tap their memories to create personal connections with family, friends, and caregivers. It also has a specially designed feature for African Americans with dementia. MNHS was allocated a $205,000 grant last year from the Institute of Museum and Library Services to work on the new app, which entailed a long search on how to better serve people with memory loss, especially people of color. Levad says app users can help reduce the sense of isolation people with dementia often feel by adding photos to the "My Memory" section, either by taking snapshots of family members or rooms in their house. "The goal is to allow users to connect with their loved ones in their own homes and their own spaces where they are comfortable," Levad notes.