Parkinson’s disease affects the physical and emotional well-being, including the memory. I received the following information from a rehab facility and have adapted it to Parkinson’s disease and for the Parkinson’s disease patient. Part one lists the four stages in the memory process: attention, encoding, consolidation, and retrieval.
Attention
- Focus on what is said or what you read.
- Do not be distracted.
- Have the person speak with you or read later, if possible, if you are tired.
Encoding
- Break down, or simplify in your own words, what you hear or read.
- Ask the person to repeat what he or she said, or re-read if you do not understand.
- Link the information, if possible, to something you are already familiar with.
- If you feel you have been told or have read too much, slow down.
- Organize what you have been told or what you have read to have a logical order for better understanding and remembering.
Consolidation
- Repeat what you have heard or read.
- After five seconds repeat it again.
- Increase the time between repeating by 15 and then 30 seconds.
Retrieval
- Are you trying to think of a time, place, or people?
- Is your state of mind or mood the same as when you were told or read the information you are trying to recall?
- Go through the letters in the alphabet to help prompt your memory.
Some common memory problems are forgetting what was said, names, where you put something, or changes in routine.You may also get lost, lose things, repeat yourself, have difficulty following a story on television or in a book, or mix up details. Part two of “Improving Your Memory” will focus on memory aids.
