I was talking to my dad about it, who has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. We discussed a few times about potentially examining this further, going on this road trip, and looking at the science around connected relationships and reminiscence therapy. He was really interested and really enthusiastic about the idea; I think it may have given him some agency in the entire space for the first time. He wanted to put awareness around the issue and offer up some advice or information that may help people make some different decisions or deal with this type of diagnosis.
He and I hadn’t actually spoken about it that much, funnily enough. It was not out of avoidance, but out of not really knowing how to broach the subject—maybe there was some sort of resistance to the truth of what we’re facing as a family. I was definitely anxious about the whole thing, but [also] fueled by his enthusiasm for it. I found it quite deeply personal and profound.
Chris looks at a favorite photo from his childhood of him with his father.
Craig Parry, National Geographic
In the episode, you went on a motorcycle trip to places where you spent your childhood. How does stimulating a loved one’s memories help them with cognitive decline?
One of the worst things to do is have patients be completely isolated, which is essentially what the brain is doing. It’s trying to shrink its world down, and with that comes depression, anxiety, and resistance against exploration of new things. It becomes about what’s familiar.
The science around reminiscence therapy is stimulating the hippocampus, which is the same part of the brain that Alzheimer’s and dementia attacks. So, by revisiting old memories, it helps build resilience protection, in a way. Reminiscence therapy, whether it be looking at old photographs, discussing times from the past, or gathering with friends, is incredibly important, both for the individual who has Alzheimer’s, but also for their caregivers.
