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About Forget Me Not

 

The World Health Organisation estimates that by 2050 over 18 million European citizens will be suffering from dementia. Alzheimer's Europe estimates that the cost of dementia in Europe will exceed €250bn by 2030 and that a co-ordinated approach to dementia strategies at a European level has the potential to deliver real benefits. One in in 14 people over the age of 65 up has dementia, and the likelihood of developing dementia increases significantly with age.

According to Alzheimer's Europe, with no cure and no disease-modifying treatment currently available, people with dementia, their families and carers require high-quality care, support and information, to ensure they are able to live as well as possible, for as long as possible in their communities. There is a need across Europe to upskill health and social care professionals about the best way to provide care, however there is a lot that can be done to enable someone with dementia to live well with the condition. Care and support needs to be ‘person-centred’ - focused on that person's identity and their individual needs and preferences.

One of the key non-medicinal interventions is reminiscence. Reminiscence is a well-established practice that has been used widely since the 1960s to improve the lives of people living with dementia. It gives people the opportunity to share their stories and experiences, and helps them remember who they are. This can boost their self-confidence and social interactions and make valuable connections between their past and the present. In most care settings, this takes the form of a ‘Memory Box’ which is used to collect photos, cuttings and artefacts.

What started as an Erasmus+ project in 2017, has now become a true ecosystem for all those involved in reminiscence as a non-pharmaceutical approach for people living with dementia and their carers. Involving 13 partner institutions from 10 European countries, over the past 8 years we have built an online platform for professional learning, sharing of good practice and first and foremost for creating personal digital memory boxes to be used as support for soothing reminiscence sessions for people  living with dementia.

This two-year Erasmus+ project addressed the problem of insufficient training provision in the field of adult care and the related outdated provision of care to dementia sufferers. It built a partnership of five organisations from five countries, who brought into this project complementary expertise and experience in senior care, adult training, e-learning, software coding and development of training programmes. To find out more about the project partners, visit the section "FMN local partners".

Forget-Me-Not Team

The focus of this Erasmus+ Strategic Partnership was to innovate through cooperative practice with the aim of developing an Integrated Platform to be used as tool for dementia care and a Vocational Education Training Package at a European level in order to:

  • improve the ways senior care professionals are trained to work with patients in person-centred mode;
  • provide them with the necessary digital skills, communication, problem solving and team building skills and specific sectoral skills in the care of dementia sufferers;
  • provide them with state-of-the-art guidance and digital tools to tackle dementia;
  • make the methodology accessible to informal carers in domestic setting;
  • ultimately improve dementia sufferers' condition

In order to reach our aims, the objectives of this project were therefore to:

  • develop a platform to be used as a multilingual tool in dementia care, based on reminiscence approach, allowing users to record and later use memories in the format of sound,
    images, text or videos
  • establish a baseline and create a comprehensive set of training tools (a training framework, 5 modules, 5 videos, 5 webinars)
  • pilot, test, evaluate and refine the training resources through training events and collaboration with our associated partners
  • identify and use tools to evaluate impact in the short, medium and longer term against the baseline
  • disseminate the outcomes widely through the transnational network of associated partners and through 5 multiplier events in 5 countries
  • build an online network of expertise to exchange practice through the online communities hosted on the Integrated Platforn

The platform and the training programme were developed in English, French, German, Polish and Greek.

The initial impact has been a demonstration of improved training provision for VET and CVET learners in the field of dementia care, acquired new core and sector-specific skills for the professional carers, but ultimately an improved care of dementia sufferers through reminiscence and namely:

  • Improvement in cognition, mood, and functional ability.
  • Reduction in the symptoms of depression.
  • Reduction in the strain experienced by carers and relatives

This was the ultimate goal of this project, to improve the well-being of dementia sufferers through improved training provision for carers and use of modern methodologies.

ERASMUS+ PROJECT ID: 2017-1-UK01-KA202-036686, ‘Forget Me Not’

 

As the project title suggests, this second Erasmus+ project built on the previous project, ‘Forget Me Not’, which developed and tested an online platform which served as a digital memory box, and 5 training modules for FMN users (professional and non-professional carers and independent users). This continuation project builds on the previous outcomes and research recommendations from an associated project conducted by Plateforme des Aidants in France to enhance the technology of the platform, produce both a more detailed set of training resources and facilitate wider access to training.

5 partner organisations from France, the United Kingdom, Spain, Greece and Denmark got together for this two-year project from January 2021 to December 2022. To find out more about the partners visit the section "FMN local partners".

Forget-Me-Not 2.0 Team

To develop a strategy that can be adopted at a European level, it had to be tested in a variety of contexts and partners tested the training and resources in their own contexts. The benefits of so doing  demonstrated the flexibility of the outputs and how they can be adopted to address differing needs. The original platform was developed in 5 languages and this new project has added a further 4 languages. Given the backgrounds of carers and the nature of the target groups, it was important that they have access to the resources in their home languages. This transnational approach also enabled different cultural dimensions to be addressed, both in terms of the resources development and accounting for cultural differences.

This partnership fulfilled all the objectives of this project:

  • Develop the Forget Me Not platform to make it more widely accessible through improving the accessibility for those with impairments and developing further language versions
  • Introduce an interactive sharing facility
  • Develop an interactive cognitive assessment tool to establish the degree of independent use that a sufferer can work with the platform
  • Develop additional training modules and resources on basic ICT skills needed to use the platform, how to develop specific reminiscence activities in both care home setting and the home and how to establish training champions and run workshops
  • Pilot, test, evaluate and refine the new developments and training resources in collaboration with our network of associated partners
  • Identify and use tools to evaluate impact in the short, medium and longer term
  • Disseminate the outcomes widely and build an online network of expertise

ERASMUS+ PROJECT ID:  2021-1-FR01-KA220-VET-000032961 "Forget Me Not 2.0"

 

In the spirit of the previous Erasmus+ projects, the latest project called Forget Me Not: Creative Reminiscence develops further the approach by exploring the synergies between reminiscence as structured remembering of the past and art sessions like crafts, theatre, music and art appreciation.

FMN:CR runs from September 2024 to February 2026 as a partnership of 4 organisations involved in improving elderly care in Bulgaria, Czechia, France and Spain. Thanks to the support of the Erasmus+ programme, this partnership is able to exchange good practice in dementia care, learn from each other and create a new approach supported by training tools, illustrational videos and numerous training and promotion sessions. To learn about the 4 participating organisations, visit the section "FMN local partners".

Creative Reminiscence

The Erasmus+ project FMN:CR – Creative Reminiscence aims to enhance the inclusion and quality of life of people living with dementia by enriching traditional reminiscence therapy with creative and artistic practices. By integrating art appreciation, crafts, music, and theatre into care routines, the project seeks to equip both professional and informal carers with new tools and competences that foster more meaningful and engaging interactions.

At its core, FMN:CR promotes a flexible and person-centred approach to dementia care. It supports the development of an Educator’s Manual and an Interactive VET Programme, offering practical resources and exercises to guide carers in conducting creative reminiscence sessions. These materials are designed to be adaptable to a range of care settings and learning needs, enabling formal and informal carers to enhance their skills and confidence when supporting people with dementia.

To further inspire and engage care professionals, students, and trainers, the project includes the creation of a Library of short video case studies, showcasing real-life examples of creative reminiscence sessions. These videos not only serve as an accessible training resource but also validate the effectiveness and impact of the FMN:CR methodology.

A key ambition of the project is to foster cross-sector and transnational cooperation. By bringing together partners from the fields of social care, education, and culture, FMN:CR facilitates the exchange of experiences and best practices, contributing to innovation in dementia care across Europe. This collaborative approach also promotes intergenerational learning and strengthens links between formal institutions and community-based care networks.

Through its activities, FMN:CR aims to achieve several important results: carers, art therapists, and professionals will enhance their ability to combine artistic practices with reminiscence therapy; VET providers will be empowered to integrate the FMN:CR approach into training programmes; and awareness will be raised about the benefits of uniting arts and reminiscence to support healthy ageing and social participation. Most importantly, the project seeks to ensure that people living with dementia are supported in a way that makes their ageing process more dignified, creative, and meaningful.

Ultimately, FMN:CR contributes to the Erasmus+ priorities of inclusion, innovation in vocational education and training, and adult learning. All project partners recognise the ongoing need to improve their knowledge and practices in supporting people with dementia and their carers. This project offers an excellent opportunity for mutual learning, the enrichment of existing approaches, and the expansion of sustainable partnerships at both local and European levels.

ERASMUS+ PROJECT ID: 2024-1-CZ01-KA220-VET-000244635 "Forget Me Not: Creative Reminiscence"

 

While the latest project "Forget Me Not: Creative Reminiscence" is still ongoing, we cannot share the impact analysis yet. However, here is a summary of the impact achieved over the years through the previous FMN projects:

The FMN initiative had a significant and multi-level impact on participants, partner organisations, target groups, and wider stakeholders. Direct participants from partner organisations enhanced their expertise in areas such as dementia care, reminiscence therapy, and the use of digital memory boxes. Engaging in transnational collaboration helped them develop valuable project management, international communication, and digital content production skills—including video creation, platform back-end management, and handling complex file structures.

Partner organisations integrated the FMN methodology into their own training practices, using it to educate vocational students, upskill professional carers, or support other VET institutions. Associated partners also adopted or plan to adopt this methodology within their own training frameworks.

During the pilot phase, the project's tools were tested by professionals and informal carers, receiving overwhelmingly positive feedback. The FMN platform surpassed 600 registered users, including many organisations managing multiple accounts for people living with dementia—indicating a broader user base than initially anticipated. Users consistently reported a positive or very positive impact on the quality of life of individuals with memory issues and on the relationship dynamics between carers and those in their care.

While uptake was strongest in France due to the coordinator’s network, partner countries are steadily expanding usage. All partners are committed to further disseminating the FMN platform and training resources beyond the project’s formal end. The themed memory library continues to grow as new topics are identified. Additionally, the project was showcased at the European Reminiscence Network conference in Amsterdam in October 2023, generating strong interest and paving the way for multilingual and cross-contextual adaptations, including the current FMN:CR project.

At the local and regional levels, the project had the most immediate effect on student carers, care home professionals, and informal family carers, particularly through direct involvement in training and events. Reactions from participants were highly positive, with many expressing interest in continued engagement. Dissemination will continue regionally through partner networks, and at the European level through participation in conferences and memberships in networks such as the European Reminiscence Network.