November is National Memoir Writing Month and if your senior loved one has ever thought about writing a memoir or a family history now is a great time to tackle that project. You can help encourage your senior loved one to take the time to write down all of the family legends and lore as well as the facts of the family’s history so that future generations will have a written family history to enjoy. Writing a memoir isn’t easy, but it’s a great project for seniors who have the time to devote to a big project like writing a book. And you and heir senior home care providers can help your loved one take on the challenge.
Helping Them Gather Materials
Writing a memoir means that your senior loved one will need reference materials that they can use to jog their memories and remember facts about the family history. You can help them by gathering old family documents, photos, videos, and other materials that may be scattered around various households within the family. You also may need to do some digging in attics and basements to find all the items that your senior loved one will need to write the family history in detail.
Getting Them Some Senior Home Care Services
Some help from a senior home care provider would give your senior loved one more time to devote to the writing of their memoir. A senior home care provider can help your senior loved one by taking care of housework, laundry, dishes, and even cooking meals for them. A caregiver can also help your senior loved one by making sure that they get away from their work on a regular basis to go for a walk, drink some water, and eat something.
Doing The Typing
Your senior loved one may have a lot to say but they also may not be able to type it all up. Arthritis and other medical conditions can make typing painful for seniors. Offer to type up the book for your loved one if they are having trouble with their hands so that they don’t need to hurt themselves physically to make the memoir a reality. They can dictate what they want to say onto a tape or recorder and you can type everything into a computer for them.
Tying It All Together
You can also help your senior loved one write a family memoir by doing the finishing work for them. Choose photos that can be included in the memoir, write any joining pages or paragraphs that are necessary, and read through the book to make sure that it makes sense and has good flow. You may need to move some chapters around in order to keep the history linear or make other small changes to the final draft. But when you’re done polishing it up you and your loved one will have created a wonderful heirloom that can be printed and given to everyone in the family.
If you or a loved one are considering Senior Home Care Services in Oakland PA, please call and talk to the caring staff at Extended Family Care of Pittsburgh at (412) 693-6009. We will answer all of your questions.
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