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 HAS A BAD EXPERIENCE AT AN EVENT WHERE SHE WAS DUE TO SPEAK

HOWEVER IMPORTANT THIS PERSON WAS I COULDN’T LET HIS USE OF THE TERM ‘SUFFERING’ GO UNCHALLENGED

LISTENING TO DEMENTIA DIARIES OPENED A POSITIVE WORLD TO A LADY WHO IS NEWLY DIAGNOSED

I AM TAKING A DEEP BREATH AND TAKING STOCK

TRACEY HAS HAD A REALLY GOOD (MAINLY POSITIVE) AND BUSY DEMENTIA ACTION WEEK

SPECIAL NEWS – I HAVE PASSED MY SIX MONTHLY DRIVING ASSESSMENT

‘LIFE DOESN’T STAND STILL, I’M NOT IMPROVING AND SHE’S NOT HERE’

A POWERFUL PLEA FOR KINDNESS AND UNDERSTANDING

STEPHEN HAS BEEN REALLY UPSET BY A CARER’S THOUGHTLESS WORDS

THE BEAUTY OF CHILDREN AND OLDER ADULTS INTERACTING

WENDY’S REFLECTION ON A BUSY DEMENTIA ACTION WEEK

JOHN QUINN FROM AUSTRALIA – THIS IS ME

JOHN SHARES HIS TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES ACROSS THE UK AND SOUTHERN IRELAND

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.