Learning in later life: memory and ageing

Almost all of us complain at times about our 'memory'. My own memory amazes me on a daily basis… I forget what I came into a room to do or to get, the name of a close friend as I go to introduce them, while at the same time, upon hearing only a fragment of a melody, I can usually effortlessly recall the song's title, all the words and many details of the time when that music was popular.

The media would have us believe that we are living in the time of dementia.

As we live longer than ever before, dementia touches the lives of more people than ever before. Ask most people what they fear about growing older and they mention a dread of living with dementia-either in themselves, or in those with whom they share their lives.

What can and should we expect of memory? How have we come to a position where we see memory as central to our identity?

We're interested in how the story of memory and ageing is being narrated and the implications for ageing communities. Currently there is a danger of turning the cognitive changes that are a part of 'normal' ageing into a disease and medical condition for which we go in search of a cure. What would happen instead if we thought about memory differently - not as a thing that exists in the brain, but as something we hold for and with each other in our stories, our lives and our relationships? How might we focus on maintaining and extending the relationships in which our stories are held and can be continued? Memories are there to be shared-revisited, reconstructed, revised-not tested as if they are components on the brain's 'hard drive' from which files are either stored or deleted.

Science will continue to tease out the complex ways in which dementia occurs, who is susceptible, why and what might be done to prevent it. We're interested in participating in new ways of exploring what memory is and isn't and how these insights can lead to changes in attitudes, awareness and people continuing to live as fully as possible even in the presence of memory loss.

What we are doing

• Ann runs community education sessions and workshops where older people have opportunities to learn about memory, and to both understand and befriend forgetting-we fail to notice that the capacity to forget is integral to memory. A better understanding of memory and forgetting can ease fears about memory 'loss'.
• Promoting individual and collective 'memory friendliness'. New stories and ways of thinking are emerging that help older individuals lead better lives even in the face of cognitive changes . These stories are worth sharing. In the coming months we plan to run regular community forums within local community centres inviting people of any age simply to drop in and participate in as we share stories about living with memory changes that may help reduce some of the fear and anxiety associated with old age.
• Promoting stories about ageing and dementia that inspire hope. Many school children are now involved in service projects that link them with older people in their communities some of whom have significant memory loss. We will be talking with people in the USA in March about one such program - Memory Bridge which is particularly well structured and supported.