insideKENT Magazine Issue 32 - November 2014 | Page 90

HEALTH+WELLNESS

To Know Me:

Connecting with people
living with Dementia
B Y

L O U I S E

A R K L E Y

Imagine waking up tomorrow morning, confused, disorientated and
feeling your life experiences slip away. Welcome to the world of people
living with dementia. Dementia not only affects the memory of the
person living with the condition and their ability to make choices, but
it can also affect aspects of their personality.

My Mum was diagnosed with dementia five years
ago. She is currently in the stages of the condition
whereby her ability to communicate and make
informed choices has been impaired, and where
she is no longer consistently able to recognise
people, myself included. In short, she can often
sadly present as someone who is barely
recognisable from the person she once was. It
is only when you find yourself in the position
where someone you love is diagnosed with
dementia, that you are able to fully appreciate
the issues that you and they are about to face.
It was during one particular visit that I began
wondering how I could find the means to help
those caring for her needs to understand more
about her life and spirit. I pledged to find a simple
way to express more about the mum I know, as
I was ever conscious that the dementia should
not define her.
As a result, the To Know Me books I have
developed are valuable companions for people
living with dementia and important practical
resources for all of those involved in their care.
They not only provide a simple and dignified way
of connecting with the person behind the
condition, but they also allow their personalities
and preferences to shine through. Designed to
enable the uploading of photographs and text
onto beautiful pages via bespoke software, users

can create their book – comprised of a minibiography and a personalised care guide – either
for themselves or on behalf of their loved one.
Through To Know Me, everyone from care
practitioners to medical professionals can quickly
learn more about the person in their care; for
example, whether they prefer tea to coffee, dislike
certain foods, and enjoy spending time in the
garden. This information can then be used to
tailor a level of care that considers the individual's
preferred choices – whether it's arranging activities
that acknowledge their interests and hobbies, or
alleviating any unnecessary anxiety. By virtue of
the mini-biography section of the book, To Know
Me is also intended as a memoir; a means of
stimulating conversation with the person living
with dementia, which can sometimes be tricky,
even for family and friends.
To create and order books, users can download
the easy-to-use To Know Me software at
www.toknowme.org, or alternatively choose to
purchase a blank book from the website, which
they can complete manually.
Having worked for many years with people for
whom traditional communication is complicated,
I am acutely aware of the challenges associated
with caring for people with complex needs. This
book offers the opportunity to create an even

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