How to make a life story book for someone with dementia

What is a life story book?

A life story book is a short, picture-led book about one person: where they grew up, the work they did, the people they love and the things that make them who they are. Dementia UK describes a life story as a record of someone's life that helps them share who they are and helps family, carers and professionals understand them.

For someone living with dementia, a book like this does two quiet jobs. It gives visits something gentle to share, a familiar face or place to talk about. And it tells every new carer, nurse or volunteer who this person is beyond their diagnosis: that she was a nurse in Bradford, that he still knows every Leeds United team from 1972. If you want the background, our guide to life story work in dementia care explains where the idea comes from.

What should you include in a life story book?

Include the people, places and pleasures that matter most to them, plus a few practical pages about life now. You don't need everything. A dozen well-chosen pages are more useful than forty crowded ones, and Dementia UK notes you don't have to start at the beginning or work in order.

For each chapter, our list of life story questions gives you gentle prompts to start the conversation.

How do you make a life story book, step by step?

These eight steps work whether you are making it by hand, in a word processor or with a service. Gathering photos usually takes longest, so start there and invite relatives early.

1. Talk to the person first

   Explain the idea simply and ask whether they would like to help. Let them lead: their choices, their words, their pace. If they can't take part, think about what they would be happy for carers and visitors to know.

2. Choose your chapters

   Pick eight to fourteen chapters that fit their life, such as growing up, school, work, love, children, homes, holidays, hobbies, music, pets and friends. Skip any that don't fit.

3. Gather photos

   Collect one or two strong photos for each chapter. Ask relatives for the ones only they have, and photograph old prints flat, in daylight, without flash.

4. Collect the stories

   Ask open, gentle questions, one topic at a time. Note names, places and rough years, and listen for the phrases they use.

5. Write short captions

   Write one or two short sentences per photo, in the first person: "I worked at the Co-op for 25 years." Use the names they use.

6. Lay out the pages

   Put one photo and one idea on each page, in the same position every time. Use one clear font at a large size and two strongly contrasting colours, with no busy backgrounds.

7. Add the pages about now

   Include "My name is… please call me…", the people in their life today, and the things they love and dislike, so a new carer can help straight away.

8. Print it to last and share it

   Print on thick paper and laminate the pages, use plastic pockets, or have it printed. Keep it where carers and visitors will see it, and add to it over time.

How should the pages look?

Keep every page simple and every page the same. Dementia UK's advice is to use clear, easy-to-read text and photos, to stick to one font and size, and to use no more than two contrasting colours, because different colours and patterns can be confusing. Alzheimer's Society's tips for dementia-friendly documents add useful detail: a large font, plenty of white space, photographs rather than cartoons, and strong contrast between text and background.

• One photo, one idea per page, with the photo in the same place each time.
• A large, plain font. Printed documents need at least 14 point; for a book someone holds on their lap, bigger is kinder.
• Short captions of one or two sentences, in the first person.
• Plain backgrounds: no patterns, textures or clip art.
• Strong contrast: dark text on a pale, warm background is easy on tired eyes.

Our guide to dementia-friendly design for photo books goes into fonts, colours, photo cropping and layout in more depth.

How many pages should a life story book have?

Somewhere between 12 and 24 pages suits most people. That is enough for the main chapters of a life plus the pages about now, while still being light enough to hold and quick to look through in one sitting. If you have more photos than pages, choose the ones with clear faces and good light, and keep the rest for a memory box or a second volume later.

Should you include sad memories or people who have died?

Think carefully, and be guided by the person. Alzheimer's Society notes that life story and reminiscence work can sometimes bring back difficult or sad memories, and that if this happens the person should be supported to express their feelings. Dementia UK suggests that sad or traumatic events may be better recorded in a separate document for carers rather than in the book itself.

Photos of people who have died are a personal judgement. For some people a wedding photo is a happy memory; for others, seeing a late husband prompts the question "where is he?" all over again. If you're unsure, ask the people who see them most, and consider leaving a page out until you know how it lands.

What format is best: a book, a memory box or an app?

A printed book is the most practical starting point, because it is portable, easy for carers to pick up and can go with the person into hospital. Dementia UK describes several formats, and families often combine them.

The one-page profile deserves its own mention. Hospitals and care homes often ask for one, and our guide to "About me" profiles explains what to put on it.

How do you use the book once it's made?

Keep it somewhere it will be seen and picked up: on a bedside table, in the lounge, in the bag that goes to hospital. Then let it work as a conversation starter, not a test.

• Look through it together and follow their lead. If they want to talk about one page for half an hour, that's a good visit.
• Don't quiz. "Who's this?" can feel like an exam. Try "That's you on Filey beach, isn't it? It looks windy!"
• Show it to carers. Point out the "My name is…" page and the likes and dislikes, so they can use them from day one.
• Keep it current. Add new people and update the "life now" pages as things change. Dementia UK suggests a life story can be added to over time.

The NHS lists reminiscence, sharing photos, music and objects from someone's past, as one of a range of activities people living with dementia may enjoy, alongside music, creative and social activities.

Should you make it yourself or use a service?

Both work. The right choice depends on your time, your family and how long the book needs to last.

• Free templates from Dementia UK, Alzheimer's Society and NHS trusts are good guides to what to include. You do the typing, layout, printing and laminating. Our free printable template is designed to be filled in by hand.
• Volunteer services run by some local charities, such as Age UK Oldham's Life Story project, help people tell their story and produce a printed book. They are lovely when they're available near you.
• A printed service such as Still Me takes the design and printing off your hands. Relatives add their own photos through a shared link, the pages lay themselves out, and the finished book arrives on thick, wipe-clean card with an "About me" sheet for carers.

Whichever you choose, the most important ingredient is the same: their story, told in their words, by the people who love them.