Eighty-year-old Mary studied her only daughter's face intently. "You're not my Susan," she said.
Susan cried as she recounted the incident to Michelle S. Bourgeois, a speech-pathology professor at Ohio State University who is an expert at communicating with people who have dementia.
That's when Bourgeois suggested that Susan create memory flashcards. "Your mother will never forget you," Bourgeois told her. "She just needs help remembering."
The next week at the nursing home, Susan said, "Mom, I have a gift for you" and gave her two photos. Under one she'd written, "This is my daughter Susan at age three"; under the other was "This is my daughter Susan now." Mary studied the photos, then looked at Susan and said, "As beautiful as ever."
Unlocking the Silent Prison | Parade.com
Susan cried as she recounted the incident to Michelle S. Bourgeois, a speech-pathology professor at Ohio State University who is an expert at communicating with people who have dementia.
That's when Bourgeois suggested that Susan create memory flashcards. "Your mother will never forget you," Bourgeois told her. "She just needs help remembering."
The next week at the nursing home, Susan said, "Mom, I have a gift for you" and gave her two photos. Under one she'd written, "This is my daughter Susan at age three"; under the other was "This is my daughter Susan now." Mary studied the photos, then looked at Susan and said, "As beautiful as ever."
Unlocking the Silent Prison | Parade.com
