November is “Family Stories Month,” and there is nothing like the onset of dementia to remind you just how precious those memories are.

One way we’re preserving our residents’ stories is with the OneDay for Senior Living app. This tool allows us to record short interviews or special moments with the tap of a button. You may wonder whether your loved one with dementia can still share stories. Yes! In the early and middle stages of dementia, this is still often possible, especially stories from the past. However, it can take some creativity to recall those memories so the app uses prompts to help get them started. Some are open-ended such as, “Do you prefer a sunny beach or a snowy mountain?”, while “Talk about your wedding day” or “Sing us your favorite tune” encourages more specific reminiscing.

With a few taps, the moment is saved and instantly shared with the resident’s family via text or email. The videos are stored forever on a cloud server, where the family can go back and watch again and again.

It is our honor to preserve these priceless memories, whether it’s an anecdote, a quick smile, singing along to a favorite hymn, or engaging in a community activity. “The OneDay app helps us share our residents’ stories with authenticity and honesty. Those are the moments that can bring joy to the resident and peace to the family.” says Clare Dempsey, Marketing and Communications Manager.

Ms. Dempsey says, “We are excited to have an app that empowers our staff to showcase our quality care, demonstrate our engaging programming, and capture resident stories with ease and high production value. We receive hundreds of these special moments each month from our communities, with videos ranging anywhere from 45 seconds to several minutes. OneDay has created a priceless circle of engagement between our staff, residents, and their families that continues to grow each day.”

Americus sings us a tune!