The Memory Unit OT

Someone recently gifted me this Sticker-by-Number book, and my mind immediately went to “how can we make this a therapeutic intervention”? (of course)

This is a spiral-bound book of 28 different Sticker-by-Number illustrations. They all are designed to look like stained glass, and there’s a decent variety of illustrations throughout. The first 28 pages of the book consist of single-sided art pages, each numbered. There is then an index showing completed versions of each art page, followed by single-sided sticker pages.

Some art pages are entirely black and white, which means that a sticker is required for each space on the page to complete it. Others come with the background already colored in, leaving the image in the foreground open for stickers.

As with a standard paint-by-number illustration, these art pages are labeled with numbers across the image. The stickers on the back pages are then numbered correspondingly for completion of the activity.

Looking at this through a Dementia Care Lens, I’m noticing a few pros and cons:

Pros:

1. The completed images are visually beautiful – the colors are vibrant and the end result does very much resemble a stained glass window
2. Each art page is perforated, making it easy to tear out to complete instead of flipping back and forth to access the sticker sheets at the back of the book
3. There’s no messy materials, dry time, or need for extra equipment. It’s portable, and you don’t have to complete an entire image at once. You can work on it for a few minutes at a time, or spend hours if desired.
4. It provides and easily-displayed end product that can be hung on a Resident’s wall or framed and given as a gift.

Cons:

1. Because each image is designed to look like a stained glass window, it can be a bit visually confusing. Patterns can be really difficult for some individuals living with dementia to navigate due to changes in visual-perceptual skills associated with the disease.
2. While the stickers are organized by art page number, stickers for multiple illustrations are on the same sticker page (divided by a black line). This could get a little confusing for Residents.
3. It seems like the production goal was to get the stickers as condensed on the sticker pages as possible. Which means they are not placed in numerical order (or even the right orientation) on the sticker page. This requires a great deal of visual scanning and visual problem solving, which again can be difficult for some Residents.
4. The stickers are a bit hard to peel of the page. I can envision some Residents with diminished sensation and/or arthritis throughout the hands having difficulty managing each sticker.

In the end, I think something like this could work really well during a 1:1 therapy session or for a Recreation Department staff or family member to do with a Resident or loved one.

I’m definitely going to give this book a try in a session, and I’ll report back! Let me know if you’ve ever tried anything like this.

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