As part of the social initiative ‘Jahn Social - Bridges for Regensburg’, SSV Jahn Regensburg had the idea of putting together a memory suitcase. This is intended to awaken memories of SSV Jahn Regensburg or create points of contact with football, especially for people with dementia. Prof Dr Thomas Groll, coordinator of the cooperation between OTH Regensburg and SSV Jahn Regensburg, which was initiated in 2021, forwarded the request to the Faculty of Social and Health Sciences.
Development of the memory case as a service learning project
Two groups of students specialising in adult education / intergenerational educational work on the Bachelor's degree programme in Social Work were given the task of working on the Jahn Erinnerungskoffer in the summer semesters of 2023 and 2024. In addition to analysing existing editions from other associations, they also considered what should be included in the Jahn souvenir case. The students invested a great deal of effort in developing teaching sketches, which contain ideas at different levels of difficulty on how the objects can be used to trigger memories in people with dementia and encourage them to tell stories. Although initially surprised by the special nature of this teaching-learning project, the students gradually enjoyed participating in what can be used in the socio-pedagogical field of elderly care and work with the elderly. It was not uncommon for them to acknowledge the final teaching outline required as proof of performance with the words ‘And we've really produced something useful!’ They were rewarded for their efforts with an invitation to a match at Jahnstadion Regensburg.
Aims and target group of the Jahn memory kit
The didactic content of the Jahn Memory Kit was created with the aim of providing ideas for carers in retirement homes, senior citizens' centres or respite services who work with groups of people suffering from dementia. This group of people can best assess the preferences of those affected and what resources they have. The Jahn Memory Kit can somewhat mitigate the frequently mentioned shortcoming of too few didactic options for men in the relevant institutions. When creating the didactic materials, great importance was attached to ‘targeting as many senses as possible’, says Prof Dr Irmgard Schroll-Decker, in whose courses the teaching outlines were developed. ‘It is not enough just to provide cognitive stimuli; motor, visual, tactile and olfactory elements should also be addressed as far as possible,’ says the lecturer.
Availability of the Jahn memory kit
After the Jahn reminder case has already undergone its first practical trials in cooperation with the Alzheimer Gesellschaft Oberpfalz e.V. and further changes have been made based on the feedback, it is now deposited at SSV Jahn Regensburg and can be borrowed there. Simone Piller, Head of Marketing Business Customers at SSV Jahn Regensburg, is delighted with the current status: ‘The Jahn souvenir case project has been a major concern of ours for some time. We were aware that it would require a high level of expertise. We are very grateful and delighted with how much effort Mrs Schroll-Decker and her team have put into ensuring that the wonderful idea behind the project can now be put into practice. This is a wonderful example of our active partnership with OTH Regensburg. As part of the project development, we have learnt a lot from each other, especially which ideas have been well or less well received by people with dementia.’
The case contains exhibits (replicas) that are intended to evoke memories. These range from fan scarves and photos to tickets and autograph cards. The patients initially reflect on the past, whereby the cognitive skills relating to everyday life are also to be promoted as a positive effect.
The contact person for the loan is Christoph Scholler. The memory case was already in use during the fifth Bavarian Dementia Week from 20 to 29 September 2024.
