The Dementia Diaries

by Matthew Snyman

The Dementia Diaries is a book for young people about Dementia.The Dementia Diaries is the result of the Prime Minister's challenge on dementia. A challenge to change people's understanding of dementia. To raise awareness across the UK.This book follows four young people dealing with dementia in their grandparents, we follow their diaries as they hear of the diagnosis, all the way through to the end. The book looks at dementia from the perspective of a young person, and as such is full of hope and fun and deep understanding. Adapted from interviews with young carers across Kent, the Dementia Diaries' end goal, is to raise awareness of dementia among young people in a way that's fun, shareable and life-affirming.Brought to you by SILK (Social Innovation Lab Kent), KCC, and the NHS.Watch the video of the making of the Dementia Diaries

Genres: Nonfiction, Medical

100 pages, Paperback

First published April 21, 2016

Reviews

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

As an Occupational Therapist of over 30 years most of them spent working in the area of home health care, I jumped at the opportunity to read and review this book, an import from England. As the book's description states, it is the product of a challenge to raise awareness and understanding of dementia throughout the United Kingdom...and it does so through the words and drawings of children in diary form. These are adapted from the real life experiences of actual children, experiencing day to day living with grandparents who have begun changing before them, yet, they find, still remain essentially the same.

I find this to be an excellent resource...dementia as seen from the perspective of the child(ren) in the family. The book, written as diary entries, reports feelings, events, changes in family life and loved ones behavior...all done very realistically. There are also activities and resources to help understanding and coping as well as links to youtube videos, etc. The book is being used in British school systems and I hope the closing resources are updated for the US by providing a list of American contact agencies, though the internet does have many available, as do local VNAs and public health agencies, etc. This can be a valuable resource for families and for children who may be struggling with the changes happening around them.

Very highly recommended.

A copy of this book was provided by NetGalley in return for an honest review.

[hanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

While this book is meant to be a children’s book, it was much more for me. This book is in a format that is great for people of all ages to learn what dementia is and how it can affect people of all ages. At the end of every few entries, Matthew Snyman offers simple activities that can help caregivers adjust their lifestyle to help them better see through their loved one’s eyes. These children touched my soul in a sweet spot and I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the facts of dementia... or anyone looking for some empathy.

[Bruce Gargoyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a. Digital copy of this title for the publisher via Netgalley.

Ten Second Synopsis:
A collection of stories from four unrelated young people as they go through the journey of their grandparents' dementia.

This book is a highly engaging and light-hearted read that sheds some light on a major health issue around the world, from the perspective of youngsters living with a relative who has dementia. The book is structured to reflect the progression of the disease, from the early stages, through the diagnosis, and what happens when the patient can no longer be looked after in their own home. The young people's illustrated stories are accessible and demonstrate the range of emotions, challenges and changes that the family experiences when trying to support a family member with dementia. Each chapter also suggests further tasks, research and discussion questions, making this a perfect resource for the classroom.

The stories related here are intended to be a teaching tool and point of access for young readers to get a glimpse into what might be expected when caring for a family member with dementia.
This is a clever method of providing young people with information on a relevant topic in an enjoyable and non-confrontational way. The different experiences of the diarists are perfect conversation starters and allow young people who may be feeling alone in their situation to realise that many others face similar challenges and have similar emotions about the changes happening for their loved one. More than that however, the book is simply an interesting, fun and touching read, regardless of whether or not one has experience with the illness and its affects.

[Wayne McCoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

'The Dementia Diaries' by Matthew Spyman interweaves the stories of four young people who have grandparents with dementia. As with most books from Jessica Kingsley, it seems to be a good resource for people who need to understand something more.

We meet the four kids and their respective grandparents in a series of chapters that interweave the stories. There are stories of the relationships before and after. The news they got about the onset of dementia. How they have to cope with living with a person with dementia and how things are different and yet the same. Sam likes dancing with his Nanny. Brie's Granddad was a pharmacist. Fred's Gramps moves in and forces him to move into his brother Simon's room. Sarah's Grandpa is a local celebrity, only because he's lived in the local town for over 50 years. As the dementia gets worse, the kids have to adapt to different circumstances, but they do it because they love their grandparents.

The book is fictional, but the situations seem very real. Having a beloved elder go through something like this can be frightening and this book attempts to make it less scary. The book is divided into chapters with each chapter ending with some activities to help with things that were discussed in the chapter. My grandfather had Parkinson's disease, which is more a disease of the body than the mind, but I remember feeling similar things to the kids in this story. It would have been helpful to have a resource like this to help process how I was feeling.

I received a review copy of this ebook from Jessica Kingsley Publishers and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whilst this book is aimed at young folk (7-14) with its Wimpy Kid/graphic novel style, I think it would be extremely useful for people of all ages as it contains easily accessible information about the effects of all types of dementia.

You don’t even have to have a relative with dementia as there will be someone in your neighbourhood with the condition and this book has a wealth of tips and advice which could really enhance the lives of those affected by dementia. Brie, Fred, Sarah and Sam give honest accounts of what life is like for their grandparents, anecdotes which are sometimes humorous, sometimes heartbreaking.

There seems to be a lot of stigma attached to dementia, just like there was/still is with cancer and depression. Any book which acts as a springboard for discussion can only be a positive move forward and it is often the case that young people are more open and less inhibited in their views than adults.

The Dementia Diaries should be in every school library. With life expectancy increasing, more and more children will experience dementia within their family circle and it really is about time we stopped considering it as something shameful to be swept under the carpet, “out of the mouth of babes” etc…. Highly recommended.

My thanks to NetGalley for providing a free digital copy for review purposes. - See more at: http://www.lovelytreez.com/#sthash.7p...

[Carla · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an amazing book written for kids by kids. It is written in Diary/Journal entries from different children/teenagers and bounces between each of their journal entries. There are drawings added to the journal pages that would add interest for the kids.

Some of the entries will make you laugh and some will make you cry. This book makes you think about what it is like to live in close proximity to someone with dementia. In no way is it easy. I loved how each of these children were able to look past the bad and try to remember "good" times. The perspective of the children was heartwarming. They just saw their loved one (grandparent). The problem solving skills shown by the children as well as their parents to deal with various situations will give ideas to others dealing with the same issues. The book is split into sections and at the end of each section is an activities section with suggestions that are intended to educate and help cope.

This book would help any child in a situation where Dementia has made an impact on their life as well as showing adults how to deal with their children to help alleviate stress and show them ow to continue to relate to their loved one. A great book!

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so glad I read this. It is written in Diary/Journal entries from different a few children/teenagers and bounces between each of their perspectives. There are drawings added that really helped to add to each of the enteries.

Some of the topics will make you laugh, cry, and really think about what it is like to live in close proximity to someone with dementia. In no way is it easy. I loved how each of these children were able to look past the bad and try to remember "good" times. 

This is split into sections and at the end of these sections is an activities section with suggestions that are intended to educate and help cope. Some of these ideas are very good and will help give a child the feeling of being involved and hopefully make it easier for them accept their situation. 

I really feel that this would help any child in a situation where Dementia has made an impact on their life. It also may help an older person (parent, grandparent, etc) understand how it effects a child, and how a child views what Dementia is. I give this my highest recommendation.

[Andréa]

Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book through Edelweiss.