Baking cookies as therapy for memory loss

Reminiscence therapy is phenomenal. A patient may not be able to remember what they had for breakfast but a patient may be able to tell you what it was like going on vacation with their children.”

Dr. Zachary Palace, Hebrew Home medical director

The aroma of freshly baked cookies filled the air in the Hebrew Home at Riverdale as memory care residents sat with loved ones and workers for their reminiscence therapy session.  

The Hebrew Home offers numerous services focused on the health and engagement of individuals living with dementia and Alzheimer’s, including memory care services since 1986. 

The institution holds weekly events to encourage patients with dementia to engage socially, emotionally and physically. Many sessions focus on reminiscence therapy which calls on the long-term memories of individuals with dementia. 

Engaging with particular sights and sounds can help trigger positive memories for people suffering from the neurological condition, Dr. Zachary Palace explained, a board-certified geriatrician and medical director at the Hebrew Home. 

“We like to maximize on the memories that they still have rather than focus on the losses,” Palace said, “the sights, the sounds, the feel, the smell of the food triggers positive memories.”

Dementia is an overarching term used to describe a group of symptoms, including but not limited to, difficulty with memory and recall, becoming confused with time or place, unable to retrace steps, poor judgement, hardships with language, problem-solving and thinking skills, and/or changes in mood. 

Alzheimer’s is the number one diagnosis of dementia, a disease often characterized by short-term memory loss.

One practice implemented at the Hebrew Home is reminiscence therapy – meant to evoke memories and stimulate mental activity, specifically for individuals suffering from depression. This style of therapy can be useful and is a routine non-pharmacological therapy that affects cognitive vitality and emotional status, according to a 2022 study published in the National Institute of Health. 

“Reminiscence therapy is phenomenal. A patient may not be able to remember what they had for breakfast, but a patient may be able to tell you what it was like going on vacation with their children,” Palace said. 

The kitchen in the memory care wing was filled with tables and chairs, each equipped with cookie decorating stations, complete with icing and sprinkles as holiday music filled the air.

Spread across the kitchen and dining area were clusters of patients and caregivers. In a far corner of the room sat a mother-daughter duo, whom the staff said is always together. 

Debra Cleary visits her 80-year-old mother Mary Cleary at the Hebrew Home every other day. Debra Cleary said her mother has been a resident for the last three years.

She took care of her mother in-home for the last several years, but once the COVID-19 pandemic hit, her mother became lonely and depressed. Since her time at Hebrew Home, Debra Cleary said her mother seems happier. 

She said she visits every other day because she misses her mother dearly, the two having never lived apart. And ensuring her mother is well taken care of is a priority for Debra Cleary. 

“Now it’s my turn to reciprocate back and take care of her. She’s my baby now,” she said. 

When asked about her favorite memory from her daughter’s childhood, Mary Cleary exclaimed, “Santa Claus.” This sparked Debra Cleary’s nostalgia for a time when she and her mother would visit the Christmas icon for portraits. 

At another table, Debra Bers and her mother, Helene Bers sat side by side, enjoying each other’s company and holiday cookies. 

The Alzheimer’s Foundation of America suggests keeping holiday customs alive when caring for a loved one with dementia. 

“Build on old traditions when appropriate, such as enjoying favorite music or movies and adapt past traditions as well,” according to a presser from the Alzheimer’s Foundation.

Nearly 6.9 million Americans live with Alzheimer’s dementia which interferes with one's ability to perform everyday tasks, like getting dressed or eating. And the disease can begin 20 years or more before symptoms like memory loss begin to develop, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. 

Helene Bers was never officially diagnosed with dementia, but her daughter said her mother’s memory loss has been an issue for many years. Debra Bers brought her to the Hebrew Home when she fractured her hip three years ago and needed extra care She said she believes her mother is well cared for at the home and despite her mother being wheelchair-bound and unable to participate in many activities, Debra Bers attends as many activities as she can to show up for her mom. 

When he first began working with memory care residents four years ago, Relik Jones, activity coordinator at Hebrew Home, said he had to learn how to interact with his patients. He was used to dealing with verbal feedback and response with other patients,  but he learned that responses from Alzheimer’s patients look different. 

“A smile or a wave or even – holding eye contact, that’s a win. We just want to give them the same level of care and fun as everyone else,” Jones said. 

Due to dementia’s effect on the brain, it is considered a progressive disease, interfering with fine motor skills and someone’s ability to perform daily tasks like getting dressed or eating before it reaches the part of the brain responsible for walking and swallowing. 

The Alzheimer’s Association stated the early signs and symptoms of dementia and Alzheimer’s are forgetting recently learned information, becoming confused about time or place, new problems with vocabulary or following a conversation, misplacing items and being unable to retrace steps, poor judgement or changes in mood and personality causing them to become easily upset, anxious or depressed. And the disease begins 20 years or more before symptoms like memory loss develop. 

The Alzheimer’s Foundation of America suggests keeping holiday traditions alive when caring for a loved one with dementia. 

“Build on old traditions when appropriate, such as enjoying favorite music or movies, and adapt past traditions as well,” wrote a spokesperson from Alzheimer’s Foundation of America in an email.