Navigating Life's Changes with the Power of Legacy Projects

Life is full of changes—some expected, some unexpected. For individuals living with dementia, the challenges of navigating these transitions can be even more complex.

As cognitive abilities decline, individuals may find it difficult to express their feelings, make sense of their changing reality, or connect with their sense of self. However, legacy projects—tangible creations that reflect a person’s life, values, and experiences—can offer a valuable tool for processing these transitions.

Legacy projects help individuals with dementia manage the emotional complexities of life changes by creating a lasting record of their story, allowing them to reflect on their identity, accomplishments, and values. These projects help to preserve continuity in the face of uncertainty and provide a means of connecting the past with the present.

Platforms like Evaheld enable families to document and store these projects, ensuring they remain accessible and meaningful during difficult transitions.

Why Legacy Projects Matter in Dementia Care

According to Advance Care Planning Australia, legacy projects play a significant role in emotional and psychological well-being, especially during life transitions:

• Provide continuity: Creating a legacy project helps individuals with dementia stay connected to their past and retain a sense of self during difficult transitions
• Foster emotional regulation: Legacy projects can help individuals process feelings of loss, fear, or confusion by providing a structured way to reflect on life’s changes
• Enhance self-worth: Documenting a lifetime of experiences, memories, and accomplishments boosts confidence and reinforces the individual’s sense of purpose and value
• Strengthen relationships: Sharing legacy projects with family and loved ones fosters connection and enhances communication, helping individuals feel supported throughout life’s transitions

Dementia Support Australia highlights that creating a legacy project can offer comfort, reduce anxiety, and increase emotional well-being, especially when individuals may feel disconnected or unsure of their place in the world.

How Legacy Projects Help with Life Transitions and Changes

Legacy projects serve as a therapeutic tool for individuals facing transitions, whether these are related to health changes, the loss of independence, or the progression of dementia.

Here’s how they can help individuals navigate these challenging changes:

• Reflecting on life’s purpose: A legacy project provides a structured opportunity to reflect on one’s life journey and the impact they’ve made
• Preserving identity: Creating something tangible—whether a memoir, art project, or family history—helps individuals retain their sense of self, even as cognitive abilities decline
• Providing a sense of control: Engaging in a creative project empowers individuals to contribute meaningfully to their legacy and life story, helping them feel more in control of their circumstances
• Creating emotional closure: Legacy projects allow individuals to express feelings about major life events, fostering a sense of closure and acceptance as they move through transitions

Family Legacy Series recommends that legacy projects focus on creating personalised records that provide a comprehensive snapshot of the individual’s life, allowing them to process changes with greater emotional clarity.

Step-by-Step: Creating a Legacy Project

1. Identify the Focus of the Legacy Project

Start by identifying what aspect of the person’s life they want to highlight:

• Life history: Document key events, milestones, and experiences from the individual’s life, such as childhood memories, career achievements, and family milestones
• Personal values: Focus on values, beliefs, and passions that have defined the individual’s life and how they want to be remembered
• Family traditions: Capture cultural practices, family recipes, and traditions that have been passed down through generations
• Creative works: Encourage individuals to create artwork, write poetry, or compose music that represents their emotions and experiences

Use Evaheld to help organise and store these legacy projects, making it easy for individuals and families to add content, update it, and share it with others.

2. Engage in Meaningful Reminiscence

Creating a legacy project is a deeply personal activity that can involve reminiscing about important life moments:

• Ask open-ended questions like, “What was your favourite childhood memory?” or “What is the most important lesson you’ve learned in life?”
• Record answers through writing, audio, or video, ensuring that the individual’s voice and perspective are preserved
• Involve family members to help jog memories and offer additional context or stories that the individual may have missed

Online Will Blog suggests using remembrance activities as part of life review processes, allowing individuals to process past events, reflect on their life journey, and move forward with a sense of closure and peace.

3. Incorporate Photographs and Mementos

Visual elements such as photographs, artwork, and mementos can add a personal and emotional dimension to the legacy project:

• Collect meaningful photos: Include family photos, images from significant events, and pictures of places that were important to the individual
• Use mementos: Incorporate special items, such as old letters, medals, or family heirlooms, that hold sentimental value
• Create a visual timeline: Develop a family tree or timeline to illustrate key moments and milestones in the individual’s life

Evaheld provides tools to digitally store and organise these elements, making it easier for families to share and preserve them for future generations.

4. Share the Project with Family and Loved Ones

Legacy projects can be shared with others, providing an opportunity for the individual to connect with family members and pass on their knowledge:

• Organise a family gathering or virtual meeting to present the legacy project and reflect on the memories it holds
• Use the project to foster conversation and reminiscence, helping the individual with dementia feel connected to their family and their past
• Create a digital record that can be shared with loved ones, ensuring that the individual’s legacy lives on

Advance Care Planning Australia suggests that family legacy projects become part of advance care planning, ensuring that personal stories and memories are preserved for future generations.

Supporting the Sandwich Generation

For adult children managing caregiving responsibilities:

• Evaheld makes it easier for caregivers to track legacy projects, allowing them to document memories and share them across different family members and caregivers
• Use digital tools to store, update, and share legacy content, ensuring that important memories are preserved for future generations

Family Legacy Series encourages caregivers to document family history and create shared legacy projects that can offer comfort and reduce feelings of isolation, both for the person with dementia and their family.

In Residential and Home Care Settings

Ensure carers:

• Are trained to incorporate legacy projects into the care plan, creating opportunities for meaningful interaction and emotional connection
• Support the individual in reflecting on their life’s journey through creative projects that provide structure and meaning
• Offer resources to families who wish to create or share legacy projects, ensuring these are honoured within care settings

Dementia Support Australia provides resources on life review and legacy work, helping carers implement person-centred care that reflects the individual’s unique story.

Final Thoughts

Legacy projects offer a powerful way for individuals with dementia to process life transitions and changes, creating a lasting, meaningful record of their life’s journey.

By engaging in activities such as storytelling, photo collection, and personal reflection, individuals can find comfort, closure, and a sense of continuity. These projects not only help the person with dementia but also provide emotional support and connection for their families.

With Evaheld, families can document, store, and share these legacy projects, ensuring that the person’s life story is preserved and celebrated, no matter what changes come along.