Dementia sufferers hail game-changing new tool as experts call for nation-wide rollout

Scottish Sun

27-04-2025

'Each person living with dementia has their own unique story'
AN expert has urged people with Alzheimer's to add a new chapter to their story – by writing an autobiography.
Health workers have been supporting patients as they create their own life stories.
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NHS greater glasgow and clyde have experts who make story books about the lives of patients to help bring back memories
The team at NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde's speech and language therapy service hope that those who have been diagnosed will see it as the next step in their journey rather than the conclusion.
Their documented memories can include personal details, such as family, friends and hobbies.
Gillian Councill, executive lead for brain health and innovation at Alzheimer Scotland, thinks the project could be a nationwide hit.
She said: 'Those living with dementia often struggle with communication and memory, and may struggle to express themselves and talk about what matters to them.
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'These difficulties can also make it harder to maintain social relationships which, in turn, can cause their condition to progress more quickly.
'Creating a life story book of memories and experiences can be an effective way to engage with a person with dementia, to help them feel more connected with their family, friends and carers.
'Each person living with dementia has their own unique story and their needs, preferences and aspirations are as diverse as they are.
'It's so important to see the person first and foremost, rather than the disease.'
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Leigh McKnight, an SLT healthcare support worker at Paisley's Royal Alexandra Hospital, works with people struggling to communicate due to dementia, stroke or a brain injury.
She has helped hundreds of patients and their families put together books after getting loved ones to complete a questionnaire and provide materials such as photographs and life highlights.
Likes and dislikes, key people in a patient's life, places they have travelled, hobbies and even how they take their tea or coffee can all be effective in generating discussion and memories.
RAH colleague Geraldine Ralph identifies patients who might benefit from a book and refers them to support workers.
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Leigh said: 'A diagnosis of dementia can be devastating.
'The feedback we've had about our life story books is hugely positive, and we know they bring a lot of comfort to those affected by impaired communication. Often, they can be used to encourage conversations or discussions about certain topics or memories — this can really help people feel less isolated and better understood.
'They also help health and social care staff understand the person they are caring for as they act as a fact file of their life and interests.
'I find it a very rewarding process and it's great to see so many families take the books home and continue adding to them.'
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In one example, Leigh used maps to illustrate all the countries someone had visited and, in another, she included the lyrics to the song Singing In The Rain, which the patient could still recite in full.
Favourite foods, music and football teams have also featured in autobiographies.
Every personalised story starts from birth and includes family snaps, plus milestones such as wedding anniversaries and the dates children were born.
The wife of one patient with early onset dementia said the books give 'a flavour of the person and their life' prior to their diagnosis.
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She explained: 'I have striven to make sure people see the person, and recognise and understand he deserves to be treated with respect, compassion and dignity.
'The life story book has really come into its own as he is in hospital and currently hasn't been able to communicate.'
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A HELPING hand with dementia diagnosis:
DON'T TRY TO MANAGE ALONE: You shouldn't take on all the responsibility by yourself. Doing too much for a loved one can damage your health. Lean on friends and family.
SHARING THE CARING: You can get help from services and benefits provided by places like social work departments. Don't think twice about asking. For example, you could be exempt from paying council tax.
HEALTH SERVICES: Your GP is the first person to contact. Tell them about any changes in the patient's condition and ask to be referred to a dementia specialist.
SOCIAL SERVICES: Carers and their loved ones can access a community care assessment from the local council's social work department to discover what services could help.
HELPLINE: For further support, information or simply a listening ear, anyone can call Alzheimer Scotland's 24-hour freephone Dementia Helpline on 0808 808 3000, or email [e-mail].
Meanwhile, a patient with word-finding difficulties due to language-led dementia said: 'It saves me embarrassment when I can't think of a name because it's there in my book and it takes the pressure off.'
And the relative of another patient said her loved one responds better to familiar visual prompts, rather than verbal ones, adding: 'When he comes to speech and language, we feel we are seen as individuals, not just a case history.
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'What a difference it makes to talk about what he can do rather than what he can't.'