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:

IT IS A TOUGH LIFE OUT THERE – WE NEED TO PULL, AS ALLIES, TOGETHER

SHELAGH IS BEING FILMED BY ITV NEWS ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF DEMENTIA DIARIES

GLENDA HAS BEEN IN HOSPITAL AND IS INCENSED ABOUT THE POOR WORKING CONDITIONS FOR THE NURSES

‘I’M GRUMPY TODAY BECAUSE MY BODY DOESN’T KNOW WHAT IT WANTS TO DO WITH ITSELF’

IT’S NOT EASY BEING AN ACTIVIST …

IN FILMING THERE IS ALWAYS A ‘TAKE TWO’ ….

‘I’VE BEEN INSPIRED BY SOMEONE ELSE. I’VE GOT A GOAL’‘I’VE BEEN INSPIRED BY SOMEONE ELSE. I’VE GOT A GOAL’

RAYMOND IS REALLY PLEASED TO RECEIVE HIS NEWSLETTER – WITH HIS PHOTO IN IT!

STEPHEN IS FEELING REALLY GROTTY WITH A CHEST INFECTION

WITH THE HELP OF DEEP I AM GOING TO REACH THE TOP OF THE MOUTAIN

DORY VISITS THE MACINTYRE DEMENTIA PROJECT

MELVYN GIVES A HEARTFELT THANKS TO PENNY, A TRANSCRIBER, FOR HER LETTER

‘ALL OUTSIDE IS QUIET, BUT THERE’S A PARTY GOING ON INSIDE MY HEAD’

HAND OUT HOPE THAT YOU CAN STILL LIVE A LIFE WHEN YOU MAKE A DIAGNOSIS OF DEMENTIA

‘OUR STRENGTH WILL COME WHEN WE ARE AS ONE’

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.