A Liverpool-led dementia awareness programme has partnered up with the National Army Museum to launch a new innovative app, designed to support veterans living with dementia.
Developed by National Museums Liverpool’s award-winning House of Memories, the new Memories of a Soldier app is a free, interactive tool that uses familiar military objects to spark memories and start conversations.
(Photo: Alexandra Corneanu, National Army Museum)
House of Memories also offer training, resources, and activities. They’ve trained over 12,500 caregivers across the UK and internationally since its launch in 2021 and developed the multi-award-winning My House of Memories app, which was launched in the House of Commons in 2014.
The new app launch of Memories of a Soldier adds to the programme’s decade-long track record of awards, most recently including the Impact Award for International Reach from the Liverpool City Region Culture and Creativity Awards 2020, and the Exceptional Achievement Award from the Museums Association in 2018.
Lizzie Ward, programme manager at House of Memories, said: “Through this app package and alongside our in-museum training sessions, we hope to spread dementia awareness across the armed forces sector, to support veterans living with dementia and their loved ones.”
The digital resource uses nearly 100 objects and images from the National Army Museum’s collection to help capture memories of army life; these include webbing, roll mats, boot brushes, and rifle cleaning kits. Objects were meaningfully chosen that were used in the soldiers’ daily lives, hoping to reignite old memories.
Mel O’Brien-Price, curator of the National Museum, said: “Though some items may seem mundane, they were part of daily life and hold great power to help veterans recall their experiences and inspire conversations between them, their families, and carers.”
The initiative is funded by the Veterans’ Foundation and is free to download from any Apple or Android device.
More information on how to download the app, and other relevant events, is available here.
Featured image: Alexandra Corneanu, National Army Museum
