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Resources

Some of the research findings for Life Story Work:  

  • It gives people with dementia a lot of pleasure talking about their memories.
  • It serves as a springboard for conversations with others, identifies common ground, and fosters relationships.
  • Reduces depression
  • Improves quality of life
  • Beneficial tool to trigger positive feelings
  • Increases a sense of wellbeing
  • Improves autobiographical memory

For further scientific evidence of the benefits of Life Story Work see these studies:

  1.  Effectiveness of Life Story Work on Depression and Meaning in Life for Mentally Alert Residents of Nursing Homes (2019) Theresa Chrisman  uh-ir.tdl.org/bitstream/handle/10657/5560/CHRISMAN-DISSERTATION-2019.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y 
  2. Life story books for people with dementia: a systematic review (2018). Elfrink, Zuidema, Kunz, & Westerhof www.cambridge.org/core/journals/international-psychogeriatrics/article/life-story-books-for-people-with-dementia-a-systematic-review/D1FC858652BD40FC5551356474AEC368  
  3. Digital life storybooks for people with dementia living in care homes: an evaluation (2016) Subramaniam and Woods  pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27698556/       
  4. Life review and life story books for people with mild to moderate dementia: A randomized controlled trial (2014).  Subramaniam, Woods & Whitaker www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4017276/   
  5. Improving care for people with dementia: development and initial feasibility study for evaluation of life story work in dementia care (2016) Gridley, K., Brooks, J., Birks, Y., Baxter, K., & Parker, G.    www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK379598/ 
  6. Exploring good practice in life story work with people with dementia: The findings of a qualitative study looking at the multiple views of stakeholders (2018).  Gridley, K., Birks, Y., & Parker, G.  https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1471301218768921 
  1.   The Handbook of Structured Life Review (2007) by Barbara K. Haight, Barrett S. Haight
  2. The Art And Science Of Reminiscing: Theory, Research, Methods, And Applications (2014) by Haight, B., & Webster, J.  
  3. International Perspectives on Reminiscence, Life Review and Life Story Work. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers. Gibson, F. (Ed.). (2018). 
  4.  Reminiscence and life story work: A practice guide. Jessica Kingsley Publishers (2011).  By Gibson, F. 
  5. Life Story Work with People with Dementia: Ordinary Lives, Extraordinary People (2016) By Polly Kaiser and Ruth Eley
  1. https://www.lifestorynetwork.org.uk
  2. https://www.dementiauk.org/life-story-work/ 
  3. https://www.legacyproject.org/index.html 
  4. https://www.fons.org/resources/documents/Tools%20and%20resources/LifeStoryWorkResourckPack.pdf 
  5. https://lifebio.com/

A Memory Kit is a box or bag filled with items and activities centered around a place, time, or theme. A decade-themed kit may contain famous photographs from a decade, a CD with music from the era, informational booklets with facts from that time, political buttons, or anything that evokes a sense of the time period. Kits can also be centered around activities such as cooking, outdoor recreation, music, and dance, or world travel. 

Memory kits are a great way to stimulate memories and conversations.  

The following resources are in no particular order but are listed so that you can create your own or reach out to your local Alzheimer’s Association or library and see if they have memory kits to check out. 

  1.  https://www.webjunction.org/news/webjunction/memory-kits.html  
  2.  https://www.ala.org/advocacy/diversity/odlos-blog/kits-for-seniors
  3. https://best-alzheimers-products.com/alternative-therapy-for-alzheimers/reminiscence-and-alzheimers-disease

Quick Questions

  • Name your favorite: Book, Movie, Musician, Quote, Animal, Word…

Childhood

  • What’s one memory from your childhood that makes you smile?
  • What’s the most valuable thing your parents taught you?

School

  • What did you love most about school?
  • Do you remember any fads from school?

Work

  • Which of these words do you associate with your work: Love, Hate, Routine, Money or something else?
  • What’s something that you did at work that you’re proud of?

Love

  • What do you think is the key to a successful relationship?
  • What’s the bravest thing you’ve done in the name of love?

Friendships

  • How would your close friends describe you?
  • What’s one quality you think is important in a friend?

Children

  • What is one thing your children have taught you?
  • What was your proudest moment as a parent?

Overall

  • If you could share a meal with anyone in the world, who would it be and why?
  • What advice would you give to your 18-year-old self?

Questions extracted from The Handbook of Structured Life Review by Haight & Haight, 2007

Early Childhood

  • What is the very first thing you can remember when you were very young?
  • What other things do you remember about when you were very young?
  • Tell me about your family during childhood?
  • Tell me about your childhood friends? A best friend?
  • Did you have a religious or spiritual upbringing? Tell me about it?
  • Describe what going to school was like for you?

Family & Home

  • What was your home like?
  • Who were you closest to in your family?
  • Was there enough food and necessities for your family?
  • How did you celebrate holidays/birthdays?
  • Did you have any chores or responsibilities?
  • Tell me about extended family: aunts, uncles, grandparents, cousins

Later Childhood-Adolescence

  • When you think about yourself and life as a teenager, what do you remember about that time?
  • Who were important people to you as a teenager, and why?
  • Did you work during these years?
  • Were you a member of a certain clique or group?
  • Did you participate in sports or school activities?
  • Who did you want to be like?
  • Did you feel good about yourself as a teenager?

Young Adulthood

  • What was life like for you in your 20s and 30s?
  • What important decisions did you make during this time?
  • Did you have a job that earned money? Tell me about your work? Did you enjoy your work?
  • Where did you live during those early years of working?
  • Did you form any significant relationships with other people?
  • Did you rear children? What was parenting like for you?

 Adulthood

  • In your entire life, what relationship stands out as most important?
  • What was your most significant accomplishment?
  • What were some of the difficulties you encountered?
  • Would you call yourself a spiritual person?

Overview

  • On the whole, what kind of life do you think you have had?
  • What has been most satisfying about your life?
  • What was the proudest moment of your life?
  • What else would you like to tell me about your life?
  • What piece of wisdom would you like to hand down to the next generation?
  • What are the most important things to you in your life today?
  • Have you enjoyed reviewing your life?

https://www.ageuk.org.uk/bp-assets/globalassets/oldham/new-content/documents/life-story-form.pdf 

Storytelling can heal the storyteller as well as impact others

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