Great-granddaughter creates memory box for people with dementia

Chloe Meineck’s great-grandmother Winnie suffers from dementia. At the age of 104 she could still play the piano but could never recognized Chloe whenever she visited her at the nursing home. However, when hearing certain song, Winnie’s memory was awoken and she would start recounting stories from the past. That intrigued Chloe, who explains: “I was always interested and really confused how she could play the piano, but not remember who I was.“

Inspired by her great-grandmother, Chloe created the Music Memory Box, a tool that uses objects, music and photographs to help people with dementia remember their past and connect with their loved ones. The box works in a very simple way:

• Create a photo collage of different times in the box owners life in the lid of their box
• Gather the music that they love, that prompts fond memories
• Find objects that are meaningful to them, or make some new ones
• Add the music to the box on a simple USB memory stick
• Place one stick-on-sensor on each object
• Use the simple controls to match a piece of music to the objects, the box will even talk you through it

Then, just take any object, place in the center of the box, and the song associated with the object will start to play.

The Music Memory Box is based on innovative practices like music therapy, life story work and reminiscence therapy. As Chloe explains “The connection between music, emotion and memory is in the part of the brain, that is the least affected by Alzheimer’s Disease. Meaning music we have an emotional connection to has an amazing effect on all people but especially with people living with dementia.” The box provides “A way to communicate to family members and to connect them together. Improves the person’s sense of connection to both themselves and their identity and to other people.”

Adapted from: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/studiomeineck/music-memory-box-new-...
https://youth-time.eu/the-music-memory-box-used-to-revive-the-broken-bon...

More information: https://www.musicmemorybox.com/

https://youtu.be/V1KpRuvsCew