Helping Those Who Forget…Remember

Midge watches cows being milked on a dairy farm.

Donna paints watercolor masterpieces with just one touch.

Frank belts out tunes on the karaoke machine.

All call the Woodside Neighborhood, a dementia-specific personal care community at the Presbyterian SeniorCare Network Washington campus, home. Each has a different interest that sparks special moments in their lives – many of these moments they do not recall on a daily basis.

With the help of It’s Never Too Late (iN2L), an interactive computer system that engages residents regardless of their cognitive level, the Woodside team is able to rekindle passions like painting, and bring back lost memories of the days on the farm.

Photo Caption: Donna, a resident in the Woodside Neighborhood, enjoys “painting” on the iN2L

“iN2L doesn’t just impact one of our residents, it impacts all of them,” says Susan Lawrence, lifestyle engagement coordinator at Presbyterian SeniorCare Network. She reminisces, “I remember one of our residents who was a ‘War Bride’ from England. She moved to the U.S. and never got to go back home. We received this information from her family and pulled up the Earth view of the town on iN2L. She couldn’t remember the name of her hometown, but when she saw the local Post Office, she leaned in to get closer to the screen. We watched her eyes light up in a moment of recognition and she began sharing stories about her father and her time ‘at home.’ Talk about an impactful moment of remembrance – and all because of the iN2L.”

iN2L provides an element of engagement that you can’t get from anywhere else.

“We have fun with the iN2L. But what’s most important is that we engage. They remember; even if it is just for one moment,” says Susan.