Dear care partners,

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Hello! This is Sabrina, the Scout who designed the ConnectALZ project in pursuit of my Gold Award, the highest award in Girl Scouts. After earning my Girl Scout Bronze and Silver Award working with the residents at Masonicare (now Newtown RHCC), I decided to devote my Gold Award to Alzheimer’s and dementia patients everywhere. Both my grandmothers were afflicted with Alzheimer’s, and whenever I visited them, the lack of sensory materials designed specifically for dementia patients and their families stood out to me. Although institutions do an excellent job scheduling a variety of activities, personal interactions among family and friends not professionally trained in this type of care can be very difficult. Thus, I came up with my idea. I designed, wrote, and hand-illustrated a set of accessible, personalizeable booklets. These books support memory retention as well as providing entertainment, activities, and discussion questions for a lively and fun bonding experience with an elderly care partner. I am proud to share my project with local nursing homes through a printed set of my books and I hope it will serve the facilities well!!

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Before beginning, I did extensive research into everything from color and layout to topics and memory support—and of course the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. I used what I’d found to create an experience that would mix a relaxing and safe atmosphere with fun and exciting sensory stimulation. My prototypes were workshopped with recreational therapists and professionals in the field of Alzheimer’s and dementia, where every detail down to the font and color contrast was addressed. The activities (including safety instructions) and discussion questions reached their best and most effective version in the group process.

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Furthermore, I developed a system of classifying my books by their subject matter and difficulty level. They are divided into one of three categories for topics: Hobby, Sensory, and Memory. Hobby books are designed to trace important everyday experiences and their impact through a person’s life (e.g., music). Sensory provides rich images and activities that engage several of the five senses, a proven tactic to clarify one’s memory. Although all of the books support memory retention, Memory ones are specifically targeted to key parts of one’s childhood and adult life.

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In terms of difficulty level, books are rated either Red, Yellow, or Green. Red, the most difficult, includes complex, cumulative stories and activities using fine motor skills for the more recently diagnosed. Yellow features simpler stories that still follow a narrative thread and intermediate activities. Green is based off research teaching me that the most progressed Alzheimer’s and dementia will prevent one from following a story thread from page to page and cause memory to regress backwards further and further through one’s life. Thus, it includes the simplest stories and activities, but seeks to carefully push one’s mind back towards key memories from adulthood and later in life.

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The one exception to the rule is my main book, My Life. Instead of providing a more recreational experience, this book captures the most momentous turning points of life in an easy-to-use, personalizable format. If possible, I highly recommend filling out this information with your care partner before memory loss progresses too far. My advisors at assisted living centers say that this accessible format for storing information is extremely helpful for professionals giving care. Also, it can be a conversation starter and bonding experience for loved ones seeking a connection—think The Notebook.

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All in all, I hope my books will be an effective tool and resource for professionals and families alike. Please reach out to me via my Contact Me page with any questions or comments!

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Thank you for your support!
Sabrina