Do you keep forgetting things… ?
What is memory?
Memory includes the ability to store, retain and recall past experiences and information. It also includes the ability to lay down new memories and later recall them when required.
How do I know if I have problems
with my memory?
• Find it hard to learn and remember
new things such as names.
• Forget appointments or what has
been said.
• Losing things like your glasses or keys.
• Not able to read a book or sit through
a movie as memory problems make it
difficult to follow.
• Forget instructions or what you are
supposed to do for the day.
• Not able to find the way to
somewhere familiar.
• Forget what the doctor says.
• Forget what you did yesterday but able
to remember things from a long
time ago.
• Forget to pass on phone messages, or
even that someone has phoned.
• Forget words, feeling that the word is
on the tip of the tongue.
• Find it hard to keep track
of conversations.
‘Alice’s’ Story
‘Alice’ is a 52-year-old lady with a
Glioblastoma (high grade tumour) in
her left temporal lobe. Her family found
that she is forgetting more and more.
She can’t recall what day it is, what she
has been told and even forgets that
she has a brain tumour. This is placing
growing stress on her husband who
feels overwhelmed with trying to keep
track of her medical appointments and taking on managing the house. ‘Alice’s’
daughters find that they have to spend
more time with their parents to lower
their father’s stress and support Alice
who is needing more and more help
in everyday activities because of her
growing memory problems.
Strategies For the person with a brain tumour
• Write everything down straight away
using a diary, notebooks, lists, and
a whiteboard.
• Use a ‘to do’ list for each day.
• Number the jobs to help with
remembering which jobs to do but
keep the list short.
• Keep the list to five items. Only add
another item when one has
been finished.
• Write a timetable for the week or use a
wall calendar to note appointments.
• When you have to go to an important
appointment (for example, the doctor),
write down any questions you might
want to ask.
• Take a notebook to write down the
answers, take someone with you, or ask
the doctor if you can record what he
says on a mini tape recorder or
your phone.
• Always leave your keys, purse, wallet or
glasses in the same place.
• Keep a daily journal or diary of your
activities.
• Keep yourself calm and give yourself
plenty of time.
• Keep a routine.
• Repeat back to someone important
information that you need to
remember, this will check that you have
heard it correctly and will help you
remember for later.
• If you have something hard to learn, try
to break it down into small pieces and
then learn each one a little bit at a time.
• Learning to remember something new
by breaking it down into little ‘chunks’
of information is called ‘chunking’. For
example, breaking long phone numbers
into smaller groups of three or four
numbers.
For the carer/family member
• Encourage the use of diaries and postit-
notes.
• Use notice-boards or calendars placed
in central places around the home.
• Use maps or write out the steps to
help get to people and services.
• Use prompts as a way to trigger the
memory (i.e. reminders that trigger
familiar or regular thoughts eg. names
of pets, lunch at 12 noon, mailman
always comes in the afternoon).
• Break tasks into smaller steps so there
is not so much to remember.
• Give information slowly, one thing at
a time.
• Use short simple sentences and simple
direct language.
• Reduce distractions in the home/work
environment.
• Change home/work situations to fit to
an individual’s level of coping.
• Schedule more demanding tasks when
the person is at their best
(often mornings).
• Do things in short bursts, allow for lots
of breaks.
• Set realistic goals for reading activities
(eg. short stories, and magazines
instead of longer books).
• Find new interests for the person,
which need less concentration if past
hobbies can no longer be done.
• Label household items (e.g. drawers
or kitchen cutlery) or even rooms if
needed. Use words or symbols.
Questions to ask your health
professional
• What is the likely cause of the memory
problems?
• Is it related to the tumour itself?
• Is it related to the treatments given for
the tumour or other medications?
• Could the memory problems be an
unrelated medical condition and does
this need treatment in itself?
• Do I/we expect the memory problems
to get better or worse over time?
• Are there any medications that can help
the problem?
• Can a psychologist help to treat this
problem?
• Are there any diet or lifestyle factors
that can help with the memory?