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REGION – Evenmen organizes meetings ‘The Power of Memory’. The meetings are about sharing experiences, reminiscing and just being together. Read how valuable the meetings are for people with dementia and their informal caregivers.
Working together in a positive way, that is the idea behind the meetings The Power of Evening Remembrance. Last year, three couples met six times in the Noaberhuus in Hellendoorn. Dirk Miedema describes the atmosphere of the meetings as relaxed. “We hear from others here about how they deal with dementia.” His wife Jettie was diagnosed with the disease about a year and a half ago. Dirk: “Here you are in a different setting than at home, we always enjoyed coming here. It is sometimes quite emotional at home, that is also discussed here, but always with humor.”
Gerrit and Dinie Zwiers are also enthusiastic. Gerrit was diagnosed with dementia about a year ago. It became clear during the meeting with the theme of falling in love that there is nothing wrong with his long-term memory. Gerrit effortlessly managed to recall the memories of his meeting with Dinie. “We walked back and forth on Grotestraat in Nijverdal, that’s how it used to be. That’s where I met Dinie.” Dinie also remembers it well. “Then you looked for a bench in the woods together,” she says, laughing. Eventually they got married in the Noaberhuus, where the meetings now took place. And coincidentally, that matched perfectly with the idea of Evenmens. During the meeting they were married ‘again’. To bring back beautiful memories, the event was re-enacted with, among other things, wedding cake, vows and a bridal bouquet. Gerrit: “That wedding is what I remember most of all the meetings.”
To bring back memories, consultants Margret Overkamp and Henriëtte Veneberg prepare objects from the past in advance. Think of wooden spinning tops, reading boards and domino games, but also ground coffee beans and music from years ago. Margret: “It’s those little things that can evoke the positive feeling of the past. Because there is often nothing wrong with long-term memory.” Henriëtte adds: “It is precisely by working with themes that conversations get started. There is immediate conversation material. That is what we start with in the first hour of the meeting. The informal caregivers then have lunch separately from their partners. So that both groups can share their experiences more specifically.”
The fact that the meetings are always with the same group ensures even more recognition. Margret: “The first time couples are often still a bit nervous, during the second meeting they are more relaxed and from the third onwards sometimes really nice connections are created.” That was also the case with this group. Gerrit and Jan Hoekjen were almost at each other’s necks during the third meeting. Gerrit: “I didn’t know Jan at all before these meetings. But quite a connection has been created. We experience the same things and I just get along well with him.” Dinie adds: “You are in the same boat, so you gradually become closer to each other. You recognize each other’s situation.”
Contact with fellow sufferers. That’s one of the main reasons why people sign up for these meetings. And that also applies to informal caregivers. Dirk: “You hear others talk about how things are going at home. For example, sometimes Jettie cannot come up with a certain concept, we also saw this with others. And others also sometimes have ‘words with each other’ because of the situation.” Dinie also received tips from other informal caregivers.
What is particularly striking, according to Evenmens consultants, is that everyone is so open during the meetings. Gerrit: “I can say everything I want to say here and people understand it. We can trust each other. I was allowed to get emotional here.” And that is precisely the power of the meetings. Dirk: “Some people are ashamed of dementia, but as a partner of someone with dementia you sometimes have to persevere. I would absolutely recommend these meetings.” Dinie agrees: “You’ve been sitting with your partner all day, this is something different. In fact, we have become so close that we would love to meet up again at each other’s homes.”
More information about The Power of Memories? Then take a look at the website www.evenmens.nl. These meetings are offered throughout the Evenmens work area. Or call 0548 638830 for more information.
