In workbook 1 you considered the importance and use of life history work. Recording the person with dementia’s life history in a personal way can have the following benefits.

It is an activity, which can involve family/friends as well as the person with dementia.

Pictures are powerful and can help trigger memories

Use of photographs and key information about how a person used to spend their time either at home or work can be very powerful at helping everyone to see a person’s identity.

It can provide a link to information, which might help identify certain behaviours. Graham Stoke’s book ‘And still the music plays’ shows how using life stories can put the behaviour of the person with dementia can be put into context. (See further reading section at the end of the workbook).

It can be done in many different ways. The Alzheimer’s Society has produced a simple easy to use booklet ‘This is me’, that identifies personal information that is meaningful to a person. Click here to download ‘This is me’ from the Alzheimer’s Society website.

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