Dementia Diaries is a UK-wide project that brings together people’s diverse experiences of living with dementia as a series of audio diaries. It serves as a public record and a personal archive that documents the views, reflections and day-to-day lives of people living with dementia, with the aim of prompting dialogue and changing attitudes.

Who are we working with?

We are all part of the Dementia Engagement and Empowerment Project (DEEP). The Dementia Diaries initiative was designed by the non-profit communications agency On Our Radar (www.onourradar.org). It was launched by On Our Radar in January 2015 in partnership with Innovations in Dementia, Ownfone and Comic Relief, and was handed over to Innovations in Dementia in August 2016.

Phase 2 of the project is funded jointly by Comic Relief and BIG Lottery Fund.

A team from Leeds Beckett University was asked to evaluate the success of Dementia Diaries. A dementia-friendly summary of their findings is available here (pdf, opens in a new tab) or you can download the full report here (pdf, opens in a new tab).

The website provides the audio recording and a written transcript of each diary, you can volunteer to transcribe the audio diaries here

This weeks Diaries include:

AGNES LOOKS FORWARD TO BEING INTERVIEWED ABOUT THE HISTORY OF DEMENTIA ADVOCACY IN SCOTLAND

TOMMY REFLECTS ON WHAT IS NEEDED TO IMPROVE WORK TOWARDS BETTER TRANSPORT

PAUL SETS OUT HIS DREAMS OF LIVERPOOL WINNING THE PREMIERSHIP

STEPHEN REFLECTS ON HIS WEEK, INCLUDING A VISIT TO THE FIRE SERVICE

PAUL REFLECTS ON A GOOD DAY’S WORK ON TRANSPORT AND A GOOD SOCIAL TOO!

….AT THE OTHER END OF THE DAY PAUL IS TIRED BUT HAPPY WITH THE HARD WORK DONE IN MANCHESTER

AGNES IS OFF TO MEET PHILLY AND KUMIKO, WHO HAS COME FROM JAPAN TO LISTEN AND SHARE

AGNES IS TYING A BIG RIBBON BOW AROUND HER MEMORIES OF 13 YEARS OF ACTIVISM

JULES IS SADDENED AT THE LOSS OF HER DRIVING LICENCE.

JULES IS FEELING CROSS THAT THE DECISION TO STOP DRIVING WAS TAKEN WITHOUT HER

RAE EMERGES FROM BENEATH THE DUVET WITH A JOKE.

AGNES REFLECTS ON THE IMPORTANCE LETTING PEOPLE KNOW THE SUPPORT SHE NEEDS

WENDY PONDERS AN INTERESTING ANALOGY FOR BREXIT

WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT DEMENTIA, BUT NOT AT THE EXPENSE OF THE GOOD MOMENTS

WENDY SAYS ‘NEVER GIVE UP ON YOURSELVES’

Note for Professionals

You can use these Diaries as part of your Dementia Training.

As a courtesy, please email Rachel Niblock at Niblock@myid.org.uk to let her know that you will be using some of the Diaries, it helps when applying for funding in the future.