A Trip Down Memory Lane: Sharing Nostalgic Memories with the Elderly
by Richard Howlett
• Published 11/09/2023
Reminiscing with an elderly family member is always a sure fire way to bring a smile to their face, as they look back on a life well lived and remember all things they have seen and done.
In popular culture, there has been a big surge over recent years for nostalgic media, especially in the 30-40 age bracket. Be it remakes of childhood favourite films, or a television show set in the 80s or 90s, these nostalgia trips are proving to be a hit.
So why not combine the two ideas, and try reminiscing over some nostalgic memories with your elderly relatives?
If you can find out what decade they spent most of their childhood in, then it should be easy enough to find out what films were out at the time that they might remember. Then you can get the popcorn in and settle down to watch it together. If it’s not as easy to find something they might remember, then do a little research and find a newer film that was set during that time or that features a moment in history that they will remember. Make sure to ask lots of questions about their experiences, as reminiscing is great exercise for the brain, and could prove very interesting for you, too!
The books I remember fondly from childhood are Enid Blyton’s Faraway Tree series, as well as The Famous Five and Secret Seven. Reading back over children’s books as an adult might seem silly to some, but the fondness you had for them as a child will come flooding back when you start reading. Maybe you could find out what books your senior family members used to love, and then see if you can find a copy to sit and have a flick through together? Illustrated books or comics would be even better, as the visual memories are often even stronger than the written word.
Listening to music is a great way to trigger nostalgic feelings and memories, so much so that we have previously written another article on it! Take a read of our blog article titled ‘
How music can trigger your memories’ if you’d like to learn more.
Childhood memories often revolve around the toys and games we got for Christmas or birthdays. Toys that we took everywhere with us, or games that caused family arguments. Even Googling some pictures of toys from childhood can ignite some things we haven’t thought about for a very long time, and open up some great conversation about friends and family.
Looking through old photo albums is a sure fire way to get nostalgic over lost friendships and faded memories. Simple questions like ‘who are you with here?’ or ‘where was this taken?’ can start a trip down memory lane like no other. Social media apps like Facebook all tend to include a ‘Memories’ feature, and it’s because they know that physical photo albums are pretty much a thing of the past, but the longing to reminisce will always be there.
Please feel free to share your favourite nostalgic memories with us in the comments below, or, better yet, go share them with a loved one and see what they feel nostalgic about.
