Who ‘Words Without Stories’ is For
…and who it isn’t.
I created Words Without Stories specfically for people living with advanced dementia. If your loved one can still read a story, and follow a narrative, it’s not for them. It would be far too basic.
It’s really designed to be enjoyed together.
The captions are delberately short (my mum will concentrate on the caption, and probably is reading the whole thing, but she will only speak two or three words).
The images are hopefully eye-catching, but also familiar enough to spark memories or conversation from the accompanying reader.
Before creating Words Without Stories I found plenty of books for people living with dementia that related back to their era. But, as my mum is uncommunicative, that puts the ‘heavy lifting’ on me to find something to expand on. My knowledge of the 50s and 60s? Not that great! So it was important to me to create something that had images familiar to both of us, without being personal to us.
This way, I can go to any page, and find something to talk about, whether it’s a steam train, or a squirrel. The book prompts me to talk about holidays, Christmases, books I’ve read, and the price of beach huts! Hopefully, this will be helpful to any accompanying reader to stop you from getting bored, which is a big consideration for something you’re inevitable going to be looking at many, many times together.
Whilst it’s not designed to be at all educational (I’m not expecting a progression in reading from my mum), it does have some longer words, which helps to understand where your loved one is at with vocabulary. It has some questions - my mum doesn’t answer questions, but your loved one might. And there’s a clock, (well, a couple if you count Big Ben), to see whether they
1. recognise a clock
2. can tell the time
I didn’t create the book with children in mind, although there are some photos that can relate back to childhood memories, but it’s not unsuitable for children. It could prove to be a great way for them to spend time doing something together with an older relative who is living with advanced dementia, giving them a focus together.
There aren’t many people, or faces in the book. I had a vague concern that they could be confusing, in a ‘should I know this person?’ way. I didn’t have a way of testing that, so found it easier to concentrate on ‘things’ rather than people.
With no specific theme, I am hopeful that anyone would be able to find something amongst the photos in the book that appeals, or spark conversation. With enough variety among the pictures that it’s easy to go off at a tangent, and come back, without getting too fed up with it, too quickly.
You can find out more about it, below.
Much love,
Anna
xx
