App helps people with dementia reclaim their life stories

An innovative web app, developed to help people with dementia reclaim their memories and life stories, has won the backing of one of the country’s leading experts in the field.

The app, created by not-for-profit company Book of You CIC, uses the proven benefits of life story therapy to help people with dementia capture their past experiences using photos, videos, words and music.

Devised by Tom and Kathy Barham, Book of You has attracted praise from one of the country’s leading experts in dementia, Professor of Clinical Psychology of Older People at Bangor University, Bob Woods.

Prof Woods said: “The beauty of Book of You is the way it uses digital media to bring to life pictures and words that simply don’t have the same power as pages in a book. When you add in film and music, you have something that is very evocative.”

With 850,000 people in the UK currently having dementia and that number set to rise to more than 1 million in 2025, Tom and Kathy hope the app will benefits thousands of people with dementia, their families and carers.

The pair launched the app at the My Home Life Cymru annual conference in Cardiff earlier this month (4 March 2014).

Kathy said: “We have trialled Book of You in both care homes and day centres and had great feedback.

“For the users, it’s helped them to recapture and share some of the things that shaped their lives, from the everyday but none-the-less important things like the music they love through to extraordinary events such as meeting royalty or traveling the world.

“To ensure privacy, each account is password protected, but users can authorise others to participate in the creation of Book of You, so it can be a collaborative effort with friends and family.”

As the app can be accessed on a tablet computer or other mobile device, it is very portable.

Kathy explained: “When people with dementia go from one setting to another the unfamiliarity of their surroundings can make them feel disorientated. It’s not unusual for hospital stays, for example, to help the physical condition but result in a deterioration in their dementia.

“With Book of You, people can take their life story with them, to keep that connection with what’s familiar, their experiences and sense of self.”

The trial completed, the app will now be used in care homes, with Book of You facilitators working with people with dementia to create their digital life stories.

With the number of people with dementia expected to rise, Prof Woods sees Book of You being of particular benefit to people in the early stages of dementia who could create their own Book of You life story.

He added: “Our research suggests that producing a life story book results in a better quality of life for people with dementia and as reported by family, improved quality of relationships.

“Care staff also get to know the individual better and in turn can offer improved person-centred care.”

As a social enterprise, all profits from the app will be reinvested into expanding the service across the UK to help more people with dementia capture their life stories.

Book of You has a limited number of free sessions that are funded in North East Wales for care homes and community groups.

To find out more about Book of You go to: www.bookofyou.co.uk.

ENDS

What is reminiscence therapy?

·      People with dementia often have difficulty remembering what’s recently happened in their lives. This can leave them feeling confused, vulnerable and less confident. However, their memories from years ago often remain detailed and intact.

·      Reminiscence therapy involves talking about things from the past, using prompts such as photos, familiar objects or music to create a ‘life story’.

·      There is evidence that reminiscence therapy can improve mood, wellbeing and some mental abilities such as memory. By talking about who they are, people with dementia can help others focus on them, and not their dementia.

·      It can help boost their self-esteem and help them make a valuable connection between the past and the present.

Dementia fast facts

·      Dementia describes different brain disorders that trigger a loss of brain function. These conditions are all usually progressive and eventually severe.

·      Alzheimer's disease is the most common type of dementia, affecting 62 per cent of those diagnosed.

·      Symptoms of dementia include memory loss, confusion and problems with speech and understanding.

·      There are 850,000 people with dementia in the UK, with numbers set to rise to over 1 million by 2025 and 2 million by 2051.

·      225,000 will develop dementia this year, that’s one every three minutes.

·      1 in 6 people over the age of 80 have dementia.

·      70 per cent of people in care homes have dementia or severe memory problems.

·      There are over 40,000 people under 65 with dementia in the UK.

·      Dementia is one of the main causes of disability later in life, ahead of cancer, cardiovascular disease and stroke.

ENDS

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT CLAIRE SAVAGE ON 0845 154 3491/ 07989 125999 OR EMAIL CLAIRE@ACCORDPR.CO.UK

EDITOR'S NOTES

Book of You is a web-based app that can be accessed on a computer, tablet computer or other mobile device.

Book of You is a password protected site, meaning that any book created is private to the person who made it. The account holder can invite other to view and contribute to their book.

Book of You CIC is a not for profit social enterprise.