Passing Down Wisdom Before It’s Lost

Every person carries a wealth of knowledge and skills—often accumulated over decades of work, parenting, problem-solving, crafting, and living.

For individuals facing a dementia diagnosis, that knowledge remains rich and valuable, especially when captured early. A skills and knowledge inventory is a way to preserve this wisdom before it fades, turning lived experience into a meaningful legacy for future generations.

As a dementia care expert, I’ve seen how empowering it is for individuals to reflect on what they’ve learned, taught, built, and shared. When families take time to honour and record these skills, they create emotional connection, intergenerational learning, and enduring pride.

What Is a Skills and Knowledge Inventory?

A skills and knowledge inventory is a structured record of:

• Life skills (e.g. cooking, budgeting, gardening)
• Professional expertise
• Cultural traditions and rituals
• Parenting philosophies or caregiving tips
• Creative and craft knowledge
• Spiritual insights or personal values
• Personal achievements and decision-making strategies

Unlike a resume, this inventory focuses on the heart behind the skill—why it matters, how it helped others, and how it shaped the person’s identity. It’s an ideal component of legacy preservation and early Advance Care Planning.

Why It’s Important to Start Early

Cognitive changes in dementia can affect sequencing, speech, or recall. Starting early allows:

• Clear, confident reflections
• Detailed explanations or demonstrations
• Emotional nuance and storytelling
• Personal agency in choosing what to share and how

These inventories can be written, recorded via video or audio, or compiled with help from a carer or family member. Evaheld’s secure digital vault provides a central space to store and manage them safely.

How to Begin a Skills and Knowledge Inventory

1. Create a Calm and Supportive Setting

Choose a quiet time when the person feels relaxed. Use warm lighting, a familiar environment, or gentle background music to reduce stress. If helpful, bring in sensory or visual prompts such as tools, photos, or fabrics.

2. Ask Open-Ended Questions

Use storytelling-style prompts such as:

• “What’s something you’ve taught someone else?”
• “What do people come to you for help with?”
• “What’s a tradition or method you hope the family continues?”
• “What skill makes you feel proud when you do it?”

These questions can uncover legacy-rich insights that otherwise remain unspoken.

3. Organise by Theme

Consider grouping the inventory by:

• Work and career knowledge: Lessons learned, tools used, mentoring experiences
• Home and lifestyle skills: How to run a household, family recipes, budgeting tips
• Creative abilities: Art, music, handcrafts, gardening, storytelling
• Spiritual wisdom: Prayers, values, philosophies, ethical wills
• Emotional insight: How they approached relationships, challenges, or grief

You can use templates from Family Legacy Series or reflection tools available through Evaheld.

Involving Family in the Process

This can be a meaningful multigenerational activity. Children, carers, or grandchildren can:

• Help record voice or video clips
• Ask questions and learn in real time
• Photograph or document objects that relate to specific skills
• Add their reflections or messages of gratitude

Even short voice notes—“Here’s how I grow tomatoes” or “This is how I fixed the kitchen tap”—can provide emotional connection and useful information.

Storing and Sharing the Inventory

Once compiled, you can:

• Upload the recordings, transcripts, or photos to Evaheld’s vault
• Attach skills and legacy notes to Advance Care Planning documents
• Include highlights in a legacy letter
• Store practical instructions or wisdom with memory books

This ensures that the inventory becomes accessible when needed—for comfort, remembrance, or even practical guidance.

The Emotional and Psychological Impact

For individuals with dementia, creating a skills inventory:

• Validates their contributions
• Affirms dignity and self-worth
• Reduces anxiety about “being forgotten”
• Offers control and agency in shaping their legacy
• Provides moments of reflection and connection

One man I worked with recorded a short series of videos on fixing bicycles—a skill he’d passed to his grandchildren. That simple act became a treasured emotional anchor, long after he lost the ability to speak.

Legacy Beyond Words

This kind of inventory doesn’t just document what someone could do—it reveals who they are. A handwritten bread recipe, a story about solving a problem at work, or a demonstration of how to fold a fitted sheet—each becomes part of a personal and cultural legacy.

It also helps carers and future medical teams personalise support. Someone who spent decades crafting with their hands may find comfort in tactile activities later. Documenting these elements now informs future routines.

Practical Tips for Families and Carers

• Keep sessions short (10–20 minutes) to avoid fatigue
• Record casually—no need for perfection
• Let the person lead with what feels important to them
• Revisit the process regularly, updating or adding entries
• Celebrate what’s shared—express gratitude and connection

Use Nurse Info for guidance on supporting this process alongside cognitive or physical changes.

Blending With Advance and Emotional Planning

Skills and knowledge inventories can support:

• Advance Care Directives: By aligning care preferences with a person’s lifestyle and values
• Ethical Wills: By adding meaningful stories and lessons
• Legacy vaults: For recording and selectively sharing entries across generations

They also offer peace of mind for carers, knowing that routines, passions, and practical knowledge are preserved.

In Summary

Every person has a lifetime of wisdom that deserves to be honoured. For individuals facing dementia, capturing their skills and knowledge before memory fades allows their legacy to live on—in kitchens, gardens, family rituals, and stories passed around the table.

Start now. Use your voice, your hands, your memories. And let tools like Evaheld help preserve the heart behind the skill, for those you love—and those still to come.