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 REFLECTS ON THE IMPORTANCE OF LIVING LIFE TO THE FULL.

JACQUI IS MUCH HAPPIER TRAVELLING BY TRAIN,

RAE HAS BEEN SINGING IN THE RAIN. LITERALLY.

MR ALZHEIMER’S HAS BEEN GETTING EVEN MORE CUDDLES THAN USUAL.

AGNES EXPLAINS HOW IMPORTANT IT IS FOR HER AND OTHERS TO “GET IT IN WRITING”.

JACQUI ENCOURAGES MORE PEOPLE WITH DEMENTIA TO GET INVOLVED.

RAYMOND IS KEEPING GOING DESPITE THE CHALLENGES DEMENTIA BRINGS.

RON DISCUSSES THE IMPORTANCE OF OWNERSHIP AS A CORNERSTONE OF RECOVERY.

STEVE MILTON FROM INNOVATIONS IN DEMENTIA READS A LETTER TO ALL DIARISTS.STEVE MILTON FROM INNOVATIONS IN DEMENTIA READS A LETTER TO ALL DIARISTS.

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.