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.
The people behind Dementia Diaries take safeguarding of the Diarists seriously.
They listen to every diary before it is posted on the website and always act if they have concerns.
Dementia Diaries Website
Who are we working with?
They 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 WONDERS IF ANYONE ELSE IS STRUGGLING WITH GETTING THE WORDS OUT.
DORY’S AUDIT OF WREXHAM FC WENT BETTER THAN THE MATCH DID.
PHILLY AND RON DISCUSS HIS PLAY.
SHELAGH IS WONDERING WHETHER OTHER DIARISTS STRUGGLE WITH NUMBERS AND PASSWORDS.
AGNES IS LISTENING TO THE RAIN AT “STUPID O’CLOCK” AND BREATHING IN.
PHILLY SPEAKS TO PAT ON HIS ARRIVAL AT STORNAWAY.
“SHINE ON HARVEST MOON” SINGS NANCY, REFLECTING ON HER TIME IN STORNAWAY.
MELVYN DESCRIBES HOW MUCH DOING HIS DIARIES MEAN TO HIM.
PAUL IS OFF TO STOCKPORT FOR THE DOING DEMENTIA DIFFERENTLY EVENT.
KEITH TALKS ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF TALKING TO CHILDREN ABOUT DEMENTIA.
MELVYN IS FEELING PRIVILEGED TO KNOW THE PEOPLE HE HAS MET THROUGH DEMENTIA.
RAE WORRIES THAT SHE WILL FORGET HER DAUGHTER.
JAMES AGNES AND PAT ARE ABOUT TO SEE RON’S PLAY.
JACQUI PONDERS THE REALITY OF THE PRACTICE OF PERSON CENTRED SUPPORT.
MELVYN IS LOOKING FORWARD TO TALKING AT THE GRAMMAR SCHOOL.
TRACEY REPORTS FROM THE ADMIRAL NURSE FORUM.
STEPHEN HAS ENJOYED BEING INTERVIEWED BY THE MEDIA.
PAUL REPORTS FROM THE DOING DEMENTIA DIFFERENTLY EVENT IN STOCKPORT.
CAROL REPORTS ON A TALK TO MEDICAL STUDENTS.
Come by next week to hear more
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.
When The Fog Lifts 