![\"Memories](\"https:\/\/www.firstlighthomecare.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/HoldingOldPhoto-560px-iStock-183541858_121516-300x204.jpg\")
<\/p>\nOne of the joys of aging is sharing stories. For many older adults, stories are a connection to the past and evidence of a life well-lived. And for the families of these historians, stories are a way to preserve memories for years \u2013 and generations \u2013 to come.<\/p>\n
With so many family activities during the holidays, it\u2019s an ideal time to capture these treasured stories. But when it comes to building this type of family history, where do you begin? Following are some simple steps you can take to plan, capture and archive treasured stories from the older adults in your life.<\/p>\n
Step 1: Prepare and plan. Step 2: Gather needed supplies. In addition to your recording devices, also consider bringing out old family photos or heirlooms. These items can help trigger memories, prompt stories and make the conversation even more meaningful.<\/p>\n Step 3: Document your questions. Step 4: Get comfortable and talk. Step 5: Ask for other perspectives. Step 6: Backup, share and enjoy. Get great ideas and tools. Supporting family memories. One of the joys of aging is sharing stories. For many older adults, stories are a connection to the past and evidence of a life well-lived. And for the families of these historians, stories are a way to preserve memories for years \u2013 and generations \u2013 to come. With so…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-919","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.firstlighthomecare.com\/home-healthcare-west-suburban-boston\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/919","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.firstlighthomecare.com\/home-healthcare-west-suburban-boston\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.firstlighthomecare.com\/home-healthcare-west-suburban-boston\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.firstlighthomecare.com\/home-healthcare-west-suburban-boston\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.firstlighthomecare.com\/home-healthcare-west-suburban-boston\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=919"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.firstlighthomecare.com\/home-healthcare-west-suburban-boston\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/919\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.firstlighthomecare.com\/home-healthcare-west-suburban-boston\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=919"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.firstlighthomecare.com\/home-healthcare-west-suburban-boston\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=919"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.firstlighthomecare.com\/home-healthcare-west-suburban-boston\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=919"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\n<\/strong>Before jumping in, consider the types of stories or information you\u2019d like to capture. And talk to your loved one to ensure he or she is comfortable with your plan.<\/p>\n\n
\n<\/strong>Determine how you will record your family historian\u2019s questions-and-answers or storytelling. Journals, family trees and scrapbooks are still widely used today. And access to a variety of technologies now give you the opportunity to capture the stories \u2013 via audio, video or both \u2013 as they\u2019re being told. Digital recordings can help capture a loved one\u2019s essence and keep it alive well into the future.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>Think about the best questions that will help you learn about all of things you planned in Step 1. Open-ended questions are the best for encouraging storytelling. There are many online tools that can help you plan your \u201cinterview.\u201d Some of our favorite resources are included at the end of this post.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>In many ways, capturing your loved one\u2019s memories is as simple as having a conversation. Once you\u2019ve decided on an approach and planned what you\u2019d like to talk about, just have a conversation. When capturing conversations digitally, it\u2019s best to select a location that\u2019s comfortable, quiet, has appealing scenery and uses good lighting.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>They say there are two sides to every story. Or, in the case of family history, perhaps several. Consider also capturing related comments, perspectives and anecdotes from other members of the family to help enhance the accounts from the older adults in your life.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>Once you\u2019ve captured your loved one\u2019s stories, be sure to have a backup: multiple copies of printed pieces and digital backup for electronic images, audio and video. Then, there are only two things left to do: Share and enjoy the memories.<\/em><\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>There is a seemingly endless list of online resources that offer advice, tips and web-enabled tools to help you capture memories and create a living family history. Some of our favorites include:<\/p>\n\n
\n<\/strong>FirstLight Home Care is honored to enjoy many of the stories and memories that become a part of a family\u2019s history. Learn more about our how our services help seniors today.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"