I am a carer
I am a Carer or family member.
Book of You is the ideal activity for someone living with dementia to enjoy with you, no matter what their stage. It works around the idea that rather than trying to bring the person with dementia into our world, we go into theirs. And there can be surprising results! With Book of You we are working with a person’s strengths (detailed memories from the past) rather than their weaknesses (poor short term memory) and you may find surprising things out you didn’t know before!
Step by step simple guides
You may have heard the term “Memory Box” used before. This is a place where objects and pictures can be stored which stimulate memory and conversation. Book of You is very similar except rather than a Box or a printed scrapbook, it is a computer version which can be watched on a computer, a touch screen tablet or iPad or even a smartphone. It can be shared with family and friends and is only viewable to the people invited and is accessed via our secure site by password.
Ask your relative what they would like their Book of You to be about – what things are important in their lives, what they enjoy looking at, listening to or watching.
*Do you need both looking at and watching?
You don’t have to make a full ‘life story book’. If there are gaps with no information, don’t worry. You can include anything in a Book of You so concentrate on what the person does remember – watch what memories make them smile.
If you have family photographs, these can be scanned and put into the book. All the family can take part, in fact it is a wonderful activity for the whole family and all generations to participate in. You may find things out you never knew before! Your relative will enjoy being the star of their own book.
Don’t worry if your family member doesn’t remember looking at the Book of You 5 minutes after you’ve finished it. It is still worthwhile as studies have shown that emotions outlast memory, which means a person will remain happy long after they’ve forgotten the reason!
If your family member doesn’t have any old photographs or objects to put in the book, we can use the wealth of information on the internet to build an enjoyable book, such as YouTube (old films of the town they grew up in during the 1960s) old football match footage, film stars, music, Google Maps (to find the house they grew up in and see what it’s like now, or where they worked). In fact you can include absolutely anything as long as it is enjoyable and stimulates conversation. People have found that it improves their relationship during what can be a very distressing time. Watch our film here.
Gofalwr Ydw i
Gofalwr neu berthynas ydw i.
Book of You ydi’r gweithgaredd perffaith i rywun sy’n dioddef o ddementia fwynhau gyda chi, beth bynnag ydi ei gyflwr. Mae’n dilyn y syniad ein bod ni’n mynd i mewn i fyd rhywun â dementia yn hytrach na cheisio dod a hwy i’n byd ni. A gall y canlyniadau beri syndod! Gyda Book of You, rydym yn gweithio ar gryfderau person (atgofion manwl o’r gorffennol) yn hytrach na gyda’u gwendidau (cof tymor byr gwael) a gallwch ddarganfod pethau fydd yn eich synnu nad oeddech yn eu gwybod o’r blaen!
Canllawiau syml cam wrth gam
Efallai eich bod yn gyfarwydd â’r ymadrodd “Blwch atgofion”. Lle i storio gwrthrychau a lluniau sy’n ysgogi’r cof a sgwrs ydi o. Mae Book of You yn debyg iawn i hyn heblaw am y ffaith mai fersiwn gyfrifiadurol ydi o yn hytrach na bocs neu lyfr lloffion. Gellir ei ddarllen ar gyfrifiadur, ar dabled sgrin gyffwrdd neu iPad neu hyd yn oed smartphone. Gall gael ei rannu gyda theulu a ffrindiau a dim ond pobl wedi eu gwadd sy’n gallu ei weld. Mae mynediad iddo drwy ein gwefan ddiogel ni gan ddefnyddio cyfrinair.
Gofynnwch i’ch perthynas beth fyddent am roi yn eu Book of You – beth sy’n bwysig yn eu bywydau, beth maen nhw’n hoffi gwylio neu wrando arno. Does dim angen gwneud llyfr hanes eu bywyd. Os oes llefydd gwag heb wybodaeth, peidiwch â phoeni. Gellwch roi unrhyw beth mewn Book of You felly canolbwyntiwch ar y pethau mae’r person yn cofio – sylwch ar ba atgofion sy’n gwneud iddo wenu.
Os oes gennych luniau o’r teulu, gallwch eu sganio a’u rhoi yn y llyfr. Gall y teulu i gyd gymryd rhan. A dweud y gwir, mae’n weithgaredd hyfryd i’w rannu gyda’r teulu cyfan a phob cenhedlaeth. Efallai y byddwch yn darganfod pethau nad oeddech yn eu gwybod o’r blaen! Bydd eich perthynas yn mwynhau bod yn seren ei lyfr ei hun. Peidiwch â phoeni os nad ydi’ch perthynas yn cofio edrych ar y Book of You 5 munud ar ôl i chi ei orffen. Mae’n dal i fod yn werth chweil: mae astudiaethau wedi dangos fod emosiynau yn para’n hirach nag atgofion, sy’n golygu bod rhywun yn parhau i fod yn hapus beth amser ar ôl anghofio pam!
Os nad oes gan eich perthynas hen luniau neu wrthrychau i’w rhoi yn y llyfr, gallem ddefnyddio’r cyfoeth o wybodaeth sydd ar y we i greu llyfr sy’n dod â phleser, defnydd fel sydd ar YouTube (hen ffilmiau o’r dref lle cafodd ei fagu yn y 60au), ffilmiau o gemau pêl-droed, sêr ffilm, cerddoriaeth, Google Maps (er mwyn cael gweld y tŷ lle cafodd ei fagu a sut mae’n edrych erbyn heddiw, neu’r lle’r oedd yn gweithio). Yn wir, fe allech ychwanegu unrhyw beth os ydi o’n creu pleser ac yn ysgogi sgwrs. Mae llawer wedi darganfod fod hyn yn gwella eich perthynas chi gyda’r unigolyn ar adeg all fod yn gyfnod pryderus iawn.