Memory Chit Chat: Communication Exercises for Cognitive Stimulation
Are you looking for a way to engage with a patient or loved one who is suffering from cognitive dysfunction, early onset of dementia, or is a stroke survivor? Memory Chit Chat was written for anyone facing the challenge of engaging in conversation with people facing cognitive, speech, or language challenges. Assisted living personnel, home health care workers, family members, and speech-language pathologists will all find this book useful.
Engage in weekly activities designed to spark conversations! This book spans over 300 pages and is divided into weekly sections, filled with engaging topics derived from societal themes. It covers major holidays and a wide range of cultural and historical subjects such as music, graduations, television, sports, food, and education. Designed for both group and individual use.
The book includes exercises in:
- Memory
- Comprehension of reading and listening for brief texts
- Skills in writing and spelling
- Verbal expression for sharing emotions, viewpoints, and personal stories
- Thinking skills like organizing and grouping
- Vocabulary through entertaining quizzes that tap into a broad knowledge base
- Social interaction skills including conversational turn-taking, adjusting speech production, and respecting diverse perspectives
This resource is ideally suited for :
- Those with mild to moderate difficulties in communication
- Those with mild to moderate cognitive challenges
- Individuals in the initial stages of dementia
- Alert elderly
- Young adults
- People learning English as an additional language
How the Book Works
Leveraging social themes for therapeutic purposes offers meaningful engagement, repetition, familiarity, personal relevance, and a connection to seasonal and cultural events. It also encourages application of learned skills outside of the therapeutic environment. In group settings, the commonality and collective experiences provided by these themes promote communication, recognizing personal stories and achievements. The content is not only relatable but can also be amusing, touching, and sometimes provocative, providing a rich environment for fostering significant conversations and recollections.
Meet the Author: Barbara Van Dyne
About the author: Barbara Van Dyne, M.A., a Speech-Language Pathologist, has extensive experience across various rehabilitation environments, including outpatient and inpatient rehab, home care, and skilled nursing facilities. She has conducted memory enhancement classes and served on the board of the Stroke Support Group of Northern California. With a certification from the American Speech and Hearing Association and a license as a speech pathologist in California, Van Dyne has made significant contributions to the field before her retirement.