memory

[red_spinel]

hi,

Like many people on here I have an unreliable memory.

Does anyone have any tools that can be used to help with things, i use post its, and i have my diary and voice recorder, but was wondering if there was anything else?

[headwayuk Partner Headway]

Hi red_spinel,

Thank you for your post. You may find our 'coping with memory problems - practical strategies' useful, you can download it by clicking this link: headway.org.uk/Core/Downloa...

It can also help to speak to a professional such as an Occupational Therapist or Neuropsychologist about memory strategies; your GP may be able to make a referral.

Looking forward to seeing the suggestions our members come up with too.

Best wishes,

Headway

[paxo05]

Hi red spinal,

Best I can come up with is a combination of various things . Post it note , diary phone notice board white board. Try the lot, diferent things work for different people in different situations. You may not find one magic thing. Good luck.

[sporan]

Hi red_spinel,

Apart from the things you are already doing I set alarms/reminders on my phone to remind me of events, appointments and when and what meds to take at the right time.

As for things around the home I try and make sure that all the things I use or need are ALWAYS kept in the same place, if I don't then when looking for an item that isn't where it should be I struggle to find it because even looking straight at it I don't SEE it because it's never there.

The smart phone I have is the biggest boon because you can set a time with an event or task on it, written out on the phone so when the reminder sounds you can read off the phone exactly what you need to be doing or where you need to be going.

Hoping this is of some help.

Kind regards

Sporan

[iforget]

The "secret" seems to be in finding a system that works for you...and identifying the biggest issues and addressing those rather than looking for one huge overarching solution works.

I have a system that works for me but a lot of it may not be suitable for others and I don't want to info dump here...but if there are particular issues/aspects that you would like to improve I would happily share what I use/do in case it might be something you could adapt for your life.

[red_spinel in reply to iforget]

hi, thanks for gertting back to me...

any advice that you have i would really appreciate it...

i have a problem with taking my meds in the mornings and eveings even when i leave them out, i aslo have a major problem with distraction, which means i dont use the oven anymore, or be very mindful when people talk to me as i can easily just drift off and completely change the conversation...

[angelite]

Hi red-spinel,

I am not so technically minded,my life is in pieces-on my fridge !I also put backup dates on the calender(which I can ignore for days,sometimes !).I stick phonecalls to do from the phone shelf.Tried a visual prompt last week with my Dad's birthday card-hung it from a cup hook in the kitchen in a not quite see through carrier bag.Kept going in the kitchen-'What's in the bag ?',rummage,'Oh,Dad's card !'It was like a new experience each time I went in-did my head in for a week until it was time to write it !Visual prompts need to be clearly visible,I have concluded !

I write 'to do' lists but tend to misplace them.Important things-stop what I am doing and write immediately or they are forgotten,I find.I don't seem to lose all memories completely,sometimes the thought will disappear,ranging from a few hours to a few days,then suddenly be re remembered,sometimes without an apparent prompt.If it is for an event some time in the future this cycle of forget,remember,forget,remember can go on for some time and be really annoying !Going up to a shop counter,I rehearse in my head what I am going to ask for but if there is a sudden distraction it can make me go blank . I recently took my dog to the vets for her annual booster/kennel cough jabs.I also wanted wormer and ear cleaner so wrote these on my palm.Pleased with my organisation,off we went.Jabs done,vet asked me for vaccination card to update-OOPS!Well,you can't think of everything : )

Going to read the Headway link when I come back from work ( if I can remember ! )

[red_spinel in reply to angelite]

thanks for that. distraction is a BIG one for me, the slightest distraction and im off on one...i do it when im talking to people, or they are talking to me...

how do you cope with work? im not back as yet, or if i will be...

[angelite in reply to red_spinel]

Hi there again.

I am fortunate in that I have always done mostly manual work which requires less organisation than a more complicated clerical type role, slightly unfortunate that my illness has left me with some spasticity.So I cannot work as many hours physically or do heavier work without the muscle fatigue becoming a problem.I have transferred buildings and reduced my evening cleaning job from 15 to 9 hours,(although I voluntarily stay 1/4 hr longer each night as I work slightly slower than normal ) five nights a week.My self employment has become 3 afternoons a week instead of five and no extras at weekends other than 2/3 neighbours shopping.I also like to help out sometimes with my partner's parcel delivery job,depending on how tired I am.I am finding this enough,alongside my own house/pet commitments.Sadly the 'housework fairies' can't seem to find their way to my house-I am losing faith in their existence !

I could not imagine working in an office with all the multitasking and distractions-not for me at this stage in recovery.What was your line of work before your injury?

[OldThingy in reply to red_spinel]

Yeh. Distraction. I was driven there when I wasn't looking . . .

[RogerCMerriman]

My long term memory is still okay, my working and short term memory is woeful, though in fairness has always been woeful. It's clearly not been improved by a BI!

Any how this means that my tricks which is shared calendars and notes on various idevices and computers, still work. I am also very good at co adopting helpers if needed, i have no shame what so ever!

[paxo05]

For cooking look for a timmer with a clip soyou can wear it ( dont put into a pocket you will forgat its there) . You may look strange but who cares its better than burning your meal. For medication doe you use a nomad system, if not ask your chemist to see if the can get your meds put into one. Keep it in a safe but visible place si you can see if you have taken your meds. I found this system useful as in the past I have on several times over dosed my meds with a variety of outcomes. Hope this helps

[Nutkin33]

Hi there

I am lucky enough to have an iPhone, so all the things I have to do get stored in there straight away in 'Reminders'. There is also an app called 'Cozi', which I use regularly for shopping and appointments.

As soon as I think of something, I put it in my phone, cod 5 minutes later I have forgotten it! Long term memory is pretty good!

Hope this helps!

Cheers

Debs 😃😃

[Hidden in reply to Nutkin33]

Nutkin, I might like an iphone but I'm not sure and am too scared to spend so much money on something if I then can't or don't use it. Plus I drop things so much and it'd smash = un;less it had special armour (think can buy but dunno if can still use it easily with it on? And think shape = doesn't sit well in hand = hard to hold? Would like to try but without forking out MEGA bucks - but you can't, can you?

And apps = NO idea, too many and HOW to choose? I'm so left behind old bag!

But my PAPERS drive me up the wall, maybe smart phone stuff would help?

But part of me likes paper coz it's bigger. But maybe just need get used to using phone = IF can increase text size/zoom? But maybe even then hard to do emails? I don't even know what 3G and 4G are, I'm a dinosaur!

[Nutkin33 in reply to Hidden]

These days so much is computerized that we are kind of forced to learn quite a bit about smart phones. I'm sure is you keep plugging away you will find out there is much to like, and enjoy about a Smart Phone.

Good luck ! 😊😉

[Matt2584]

Hi Res spinal,

I cannot offer a great deal of help because my memory is in pretty girl od nick.

I might have slight problems here and there. If I had to go somewhere and bring something with me, I would usually leave this thing I needed, out lying on the floor next to my bed so that when I get up I can put it straight in my bag or I might even load the bag with what I need the night before so that I don't forget to bring it with me.

Hope that helped a bit. If not, oh well.

MJ

[iforget]

Red Spinel I am not ignoring you -although of course I did forget to come back to the thread more than once but this is mainly because I am in the USA at the moment and my glorious systems are all out of whack.

When we get back I will come back to you with some of the strategies and tips they gave me at the memory clinic and maybe some of those might be helpful

Its a shame the forum boards are not set up for file sharing or I could type up a doc and leave it where people could access it...

[Alex65]

Hi I found a great app for my partner Alex it's called Can Plan you can do almost anything with it even take your own photos, we've got one with the stages of operating our coffee machine so Alex can now make coffee

Good luck

Celia