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.

Dementia Diaries Website

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:

JACQUI IS PLEASED THAT SHE IS NOT LIVING UP TO OTHERS EXPECTATIONS.

WE ARE STILL ACTIVE IN OUR COMMUNITIES FIVE YEARS AFTER DIAGNOSIS. THAT’S WRONG. THE DIAGNOSIS MUST BE WRONG. WE ARE STILL TRAVELLING AROUND THE COUNTRY. WE LOOK NORMAL. IT MUST BE WRONG.

RACHEL CHATS TO CHRISTINE AT THE NORTHERN IRELAND DEEP GATHERING

MELVYN REFLECTS SADLY ON OUR DEMENTIA CHOIR

AGNES TALKS ABOUT HER CHURCHILL FELLOWSHIP.

PAUL REFLECTS ON HIS VISIT TO BELFAST

STEPHEN DESCRIBES AN ENJOYABLE MEETING

RAYMOND TALKS ABOUT HIS ‘THIS IS ME’ DOCUMENT.

DORY READS ‘DESIDERATA’ BY MAX EHRMANN – BEAUTIFUL.

GLENDA TALKS ABOUT HER WORK RAISING AWARENESS WITH YOUNG PEOPLE.

MELVYN’S DESCRIBES HOW MUCH PLEASURE HIS DOGS BRING TO HIS LIFE.

SHELAGH REFLECTS SADLY ON HOW SHORT ‘FOREVER’ CAN BE.

STEPHEN IS FEELING A LITTLE TIRED AFTER HIS SECOND COPD SESSION.

PAUL LOOKS FORWARD TO CARERS WEEK

“I HAVE NEVER KNOWN SUCH A ROOM FULL OF LOVE” MELVYN FEELS THE SAME.

 

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.