There are many systems that have been designed to assist memory – impaired people remember to do what they have planned . Below is a simple template for learning to use a memory book .
1 . Plan the next day and write down goals . 2 . Break the day into one- to two-hour segments . 3 . Write goals for each segment .
• 10:00 a . m . “ Put laundry in washing machine and start ”
• 11:00 a . m . “ Take laundry from washing machine and place in dryer ”
• 12:00 p . m . “ Take laundry from dryer , sort and fold ”
4 . Set a watch or smartphone timer to beep at two-hour intervals . It is helpful for the caregiver to call every two hours to make sure the memory book is available and was consulted at the right time .
5 . At each time interval , the survivor records the activities for the previous hour and carries out the tasks designated for the next hour .
6 . At the end of the day , the caregiver and survivor review the day ’ s progress . Adjustments are made until the survivor can follow the schedule independently . In our example , phone calls and the beeping watch or smartphone would not be needed after the habit of using the book is established . The need or ability of a survivor to use these suggestions depend on the extent of impairment as well as the degree of support that is available .
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