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Adapting your home to create a memory-friendly environment

In his latest feature for our website, American writer Jack Shaw details his thoughts on how providing a safe and comfortable environment, filled with memorable items, can help older people to live happier lives in later life.

Ageing in place has become a popular option for older adults. Beyond accessibility-related tweaks like grab bars or converting your bathtub to a walk-in shower, it’s also important to make conscious decisions that boost your well-being, such as decorating with items that help you recall fond memories. 

Getting older is not always easy, but highlighting home features that matter with your unique style can give you an instant mood boost.

Pay Attention to Prominence and Placement

When planning the placement of things in your home, think about which items matter most to you and how to draw attention to them. One easy option is to turn one or two pieces into focal points. Alternatively, place items so you and others notice them often. 

Perhaps there’s a photo collage of you and your closest friends enjoying pub quizzes, football matches and dinners out. The joyfulness captured in those images will bring a smile to your face every time you see them. 

People often turn to nostalgia to represent what they feel is missing in their lives. However, you can use strategically placed items as reminders of the good times you’ve had, helping you realise they are possible to enjoy throughout the rest of your life, whether by recalling those previous experiences or making new ones.

You can also arrange themed items together to instantly introduce visitors to some of the things you love most in life. With Sporting Memories members these can be pieces of sporting memorabilia or sporting activities that can evoke strong memories and offer numerous creative decorating ideas to explore.

Many older adults benefit from having strong ties to friends and others in their communities. Research shows they tend to prioritise spending time with those they know well, resulting in smaller social networks than those they had earlier in life. Consider further cultivating enduring relationships by placing conversation-starting decorative items in the areas of your home where you host guests. This approach also helps you build nurturing relationships with newer friends.

Declutter for Safe, Powerful Reminiscing

As people go through life, they naturally accumulate treasured items. That reality can make it more challenging to decide which items to highlight when decorating your home. Trying to decorate with too many items at once might make them all feel less important. If this issue also creates clutter, it can pose a safety hazard by increasing the likelihood of tripping or running into things. 

You can effectively solve this common problem by going through your belongings and donating items you no longer need or want. One option is to categorise things. Going through single cabinets at a time also keeps the task manageable. 

It’s not always easy to part with things you once loved or used often, but many people don’t even know what they have until they start going through it. If that’s the case for you, it can be comforting to realise that someone else may get more use and enjoyment out of an item than you currently do.

Emphasise the items that give you the most ongoing joy or the strongest memories. Those are the things you would likely miss the most, but the same is not true for things that are already gathering dust and hardly noticed. 

Treat Your Home as a Keeper of Cherished Memories

Your home serves many purposes by providing shelter, relaxation and a place to entertain guests. However, it can also preserve your most beloved memories, encouraging you to fondly recall people and occasions throughout the rest of your life. Reminiscing about those good times, be them sporting related or not, and those that matter to you is a wonderful way to stay hopeful and keep a positive perspective.

As an accomplished writer and Fitness editor at Modded, Jack Shaw has established his reputation as a respected authority on sports and their effect on physical health. His work can also be found in publications such as SportsEdTV, Better Triathlete and Senior Lifestyle Magazine.