Dementia NI Members Contribute To A Reminiscence Book For People Living With Dementia
We’re delighted to announce the launch of a brand new book that Dementia NI members have been involved in!
Our members worked with the Shared History Interpretive Project (SHIP) to co-produce the book, titled Recalling Past Memories, in which images of old Belfast help spark memories and bring enjoyment to the reader with every turn of the page.
As the name suggests the book is a useful tool for reminiscing and sharing stories and experiences from the past. Our members helped design the book content, advising on memories that would be most evocative for people with dementia, providing recommendations for improvements to the layout and giving input on how to make the book more accessible for people living with dementia and others.
The project was initiated by SHIP members who have assisted loved ones with dementia and shared our members' passion for building a community that's more inclusive for people with dementia.
To celebrate the launch Dementia NI members Liz Cunningham and Chris Higgins joined Brian Quinn, Tommy Graham and Brian McCann from SHIP at our offices for a photo call.
Our member Chris Higgins says, “This project really took me down memory lane! I really enjoyed looking at the old photos - it reminded me of growing up in Belfast.”
Dementia NI Empowerment Officer, Ashleigh Davis, says, “The SHIP project was a great project for our members to be involved in. After a dementia diagnosis, people often lose their confidence and feel their opinions aren’t valued. A big part of this project was helping our members to realise their value and know that they can achieve something of worth.
“Dementia NI members were able to speak from their own point of view to help make the book better and more accessible for people living with dementia, which will help lots of people with dementia across NI when they read the book.”
Brian Quinn from SHIP says, “It was a pleasure for myself and SHIP committee members to search through old photos together and take advice from Dementia NI members on which ones would appeal most to people with dementia. We enjoyed looking at the photos as much as the Dementia NI members did.”
Easy to pick up and hard to put down, this book is fantastic for anyone who is living with dementia or whose family members or friends are living with dementia. It is packed full of wonderful old photos of Belfast and encourages everyone including people with dementia to share moments from the past and open up conversations.
This is just one example of how our Dementia NI members play a vital role in making communities more inclusive for people living with dementia. Thank you to SHIP for working with us on this worthwhile project and well done to everyone involved!
If any organisations would like a copy please contact SHIP on shipbelfast@gmail.com or Dementia NI on info@dementiani.org