Beautiful books for people living with dementia
Helen Bate contributed an article to the Signpost
Journal which was published in Volume 11.2 October 2006.
Pictures
to Share is a new social enterprise that was set up in 2006 to publish
books for older people who live with the problems of memory loss,
confusion and dementia. The organisation was inspired by the experiences
of Helen Bate whose mother Jenny lived with Parkinson’s Disease and
dementia in the 1990’s.
After becoming aware of the appalling lack of resources
available for people with dementia, Helen carried out research, raised the
necessary funding and developed the idea that eventually grew into a new
publishing company, Pictures to Share CIC.
In our modern world, people live surrounded by a wealth
of visual media for most of their lives. Books, magazines, film,
television and even advertising are a huge part of our culture. For many
people with dementia or similar disabilities, this highly sophisticated
media world eventually becomes much too complex and confusing. At this
stage, spending quality time with others looking at carefully chosen and
well presented beautiful pictures or using colourful art materials, can be
a comforting, absorbing and life affirming activity.
The success of the work of John Killick and Kate Allan
(www.dementiapositive.co.uk), ‘Sandwell Third Age Arts’ (www.staa.org.uk)
and many others, is evidence of the important role that the arts, and
particularly visual imagery can play in improving the quality of life for
both those with dementia and their carers.
The first three books published by Pictures to Share
are full of images both old and new, colour and black and white, paintings
and photographs. They have all been chosen for their power, simplicity,
beauty and storytelling. Each picture is accompanied by a short text,
either poetic or informative, that helps to get a discussion going. Large
format, lightweight hardbacks that are satisfying to handle, the books are
robust and will withstand being used time and time again.
Themed to allow for different interests, the first
three books are about childhood, the countryside and women’s work. Other
topics are planned for the future. Although the books inevitably encourage
people to talk about their own experiences, they can be equally enjoyed by
all the generations from children to great-grandparents.
As a social enterprise, Pictures to Share C.I.C. is
committed to making the books as affordable as possible whilst maintaining
the high quality that characterises the first three titles. The success of
the organisation will depend on the response from the public and the
professionals involved in dementia care. Since the books were launched in
November 2006, this response has been exceptionally encouraging, and
copies have been bought by nursing homes, families, primary care trusts
and public libraries.
The response of Anne Topping, Head of Therapy at
Nightingale House,
"I highly recommend these delightful books. They
would be an asset to any care home, carer, or person with dementia. They
can be used to promote recall, social engagament, stimulate conversation
or just be quietly enjoyed, alone or together. The clear graphics and
images vary from bold colours to black and white, with plenty of contrast
to help those with limited sight or attention. Consideration has also been
given to text size and content, so each page has a meaningful message
without overload".
If you want to find out more about
the books, or about using the arts in dementia care, visit the web-site at
www.picturestoshare.co.uk Books are available to buy on-line at a
cost of £15 each (plus p&p), or telephone 01829 262565 to request a
brochure.