A developing practice project
The PMEE Project
Personal Meaningful Emotional Experience
Nothing lasts forever, but the meaning of a moment can.
What makes an experience personally meaningful to this person?
The PMEE Project is an evolving practice project exploring what makes an experience personally meaningful to someone living with dementia. It grew from observations made in everyday care — and from the conviction that something worth noticing deserves to be understood.
Participation alone does not mean an experience was meaningful. Two people can attend the same activity and experience it entirely differently. PMEE asks not simply whether someone took part, but what the experience meant to this individual — their response, their emotional connection, their sense of recognition or belonging.
"Do not simply ask, 'Did the person participate?' Ask, 'What did this experience mean to this person?'"
The four dimensions
Personal. Meaningful. Emotional. Experience.
P
Personal
Meaning is individual. What matters deeply to one person may mean very little to another. PMEE begins with the person — their history, their identity, their preferences and what holds significance for them.
M
Meaningful
Meaning can come from identity, history, relationships, roles, values, familiarity, contribution or simply what matters to this person right now. It is not for others to decide what should be meaningful.
E
Emotional
An experience does not have to produce happiness to be meaningful. Meaningful emotions may include joy, pride, comfort, belonging, curiosity, nostalgia, affection, achievement or calm — whatever holds personal significance.
E
Experience
PMEE is concerned with the person's lived experience of the moment — not merely whether an activity was completed. The emphasis remains always on the person experiencing the moment, not on the activity itself.
About this project
A developing practice project
The PMEE Project is not a care home, healthcare provider, therapy service, medical treatment or commercial consultancy. It is a developing practice project exploring how carers and care teams can create, recognise, observe and learn from experiences that are personally meaningful to people living with dementia.
Observations and tools published here are practice-based and developmental. They are not clinically validated instruments. Where something is still being explored, this will be stated clearly.
"There is something worth noticing here. Let us observe it carefully, understand what it may mean to this person, and learn from it."
Explore the project
Follow the project as it develops
The PMEE Project is a work in progress. New case studies, observations and reflections are added as the project develops. Follow along, share your thoughts, or get in touch.