I don’t know about you, my elderly friends, but I have been having memory problems for as long as I can remember. My mom used to tease me about the time I almost forgot to pick up my wedding dress had she not reminded me—she being the organized one, me being the careless bride. I had always depended on her to remind me of the things I needed to do:  kids’ vaccination day, doctor’s appointments, baseball games, etc. Annoying as it was then, you could just imagine how lost I became the moment I realize she can no longer fulfill this duty for me.

Along the way, I have tested and learned the best ways to help me remember and by sharing them, I hope to help seniors who are having trouble remembering as well. I know how frustrating it can be so here are some of my favorites:

1.    Concentrate. If someone is talking to you and you know there is something important in what the other person is saying, never let your mind wander, instead ask questions, clarify things. This will help you remember what was said.
2.    Write it down. Better yet, put them all together in one place. It can be a little notebook or a planner. You know a piece of tissue only works for one-night stands!
3.    Visualize. I have always believed that there are two kinds of people:  creative and critical thinkers. If you are the former, it will help you tremendously if you visualize a situation rather than focusing on details.
4.    Associate. Names are the hardest to remember! My trick is when I meet a person, I try to associate his name to the nearest, silliest thing I can think of. If he is a Rainier, I associate him with a reindeer.
5.    Designate a place for everything. Problem with missing keys? Set a wide-mouthed fishbowl right beside the door and put all keys there. Disappearing remote control? Place them all on the nearest end table. And how about your eye glasses? Buy a neck strap.
6.    Put out-of-place reminders around your work table or your house. My top favorite would be a large paper calendar—those with screaming, big numbers enough to catch your neighbor’s attention. This is for remembering schedules, appointments etc.
7.    Post-its. It may not be the prettiest things to see scattered around the house but the neon yellow colored sticky paper never fails to remind!
8.    Take advantage of what technology has to offer. Google for one has a calendar that comes with their email account, free to use upon signing up. It sends notification via emails so you don’t have to access them all the time just to see your “things to do”
9.    Prioritize. Sometimes things get so crazy, it becomes harder to remember. If this is the case, learn how to prioritize.
10.    Adapt a routine. If it’s a regular thing you need to keep, like taking your meds, adjust your everyday schedule and create a routine to keep you reminded. It’s like programming your body based on time and day.