I am a person with dementia
I am a person with dementia.
A diagnosis of dementia can be confusing and frightening, but it doesn’t mean your life is over. You can still have many years of living well with dementia. It is very easy to feel isolated and alone following your diagnosis. However keeping in regular contact with friends and family is vital in keeping you active and stimulated.
You may find it difficult to do some of the things you used to do – maybe following a conversation, reading a book or watching a film is getting more difficult. But it is possible to live well with dementia and you will find some things are easier to do than others. Book of You is one way you can enjoy doing some of these things with family and friends.
Quite often with dementia, the short term memory is more obviously affected. Do people say things like “It’s fantastic how you remember so much about something that happened many years ago”? This is not uncommon and you can make use of these intact memories by including them in your Book of You as little stories. Also, you probably still have pictures, film and music you enjoy as much today as before your diagnosis. Again, these can go into your Book for you to revisit again and again.
And you don’t have to build your Book alone (although you can if you want to). Families can help build your Book and you can all revisit those wonderful stories, songs and films together. Your Book will work as a prompt to stimulate conversation and enjoyment.
Unlike some published ‘Memory Books’ for people with dementia, we don’t presume to know exactly what you will like. We’re pretty certain, for example, that two people, both aged 68, will have completely different tastes in music, film, sport, leisure pursuits etc. With Book of You, you only include things you enjoy. It’s easily tailored around your preferences. And we’ll be there to help you.
If you are confident with using a computer (laptop or tablet) you can start now using our step by step guides Don’t worry if you are not confident with a computer – you can also contact us if you need any help, you may suggest doing this together with a family member and we may even be able to put you in touch with a local group who will be building Books together. If you want to build a Book, we will help you find a way.
Person gyda dementia ydw i
Person gyda dementia ydw i.
Gall diagnosis o ddementia eich drysu a’ch dychryn, ond nid yw’n golygu bod eich bywyd ar ben. Gallwch chi gael blynyddoedd o fywyd da gyda dementia. Mae’n hawdd iawn teimlo’n ynysig ac unig ar ôl cael diagnosis. Ond mae cadw cysylltiad gyda ffrindiau a theulu yn hanfodol i’ch cadw’n weithgar ac wedi’ch symbylu.
Efallai y byddwch yn ei chael hi’n anodd gwneud rhai pethau oeddech chi’n arfer eu gwneud – efallai fod dilyn sgwrs, darllen llyfr neu wylio ffilm yn mynd yn anos. Ond mae’n bosibl cael bywyd da gyda dementia ac mi fyddwch yn gweld fod rhai pethau yn haws i’w gwneud nag eraill. Mae Book of You yn un ffordd y gallech fwynhau gwneud rhai o’r pethau yma gyda’ch teulu a’ch ffrindiau. Yn aml gyda dementia, y cof tymor byr sydd yn cael ei effeithio fwyaf. Ydi pobl yn dweud pethau fel, “Mae’n wych eich bod chi’n cofio cymaint am bethau ddigwyddodd ers talwm”? Tydi hyn ddim yn anghyffredin: gallwch ddefnyddio’r atgofion cyfan yma drwy eu cynnwys yn eich Book of You fel storïau bychain. Yn ogystal, mae’n debyg fod gennych chi hen luniau, ffilmiau a cherddoriaeth yr ydych yn eu mwynhau gymaint heddiw ag oeddech chi cyn eich diagnosis. Unwaith eto, gall y rhain fynd i’ch Llyfr er mwyn i chi gael edrych arnynt drosodd a throsodd.
Does dim rhaid i chi greu eich Llyfr ar eich pen eich hun (er, fe gewch chi os ydych chi eisiau). Gall eich teulu eich helpu chi i greu’r Llyfr ac mi fyddech yn gallu ymweld â’r holl storïau, caneuon a ffilmiau gyda’ch gilydd. Bydd eich Llyfr yn eich ysgogi i greu sgwrs a chael mwynhad.
Yn wahanol i rai ‘Llyfrau Cof’ ar gyfer pobol gyda dementia sydd wedi dod o’r wasg, dydyn ni ddim yn cymryd yn ganiataol ein bod yn gwybod yn iawn beth fyddech chi’n hoffi. Rydym yn eithaf siŵr, er enghraifft, y bydd dau berson 68 oed â chwaeth hollol wahanol mewn cerddoriaeth, ffilmiau, chwaraeon, gweithgareddau hamdden, ayb. Dim ond beth ydych chi’n mwynhau sy’n mynd i’ch Book of You. Mae’n hawdd iawn ei deilwra ar gyfer eich hoff bethau chi. Ac mi fyddwn ni yna i’ch helpu chi.
Os ydych chi’n gallu defnyddio cyfrifiadur (gliniadur neu dabled) yn hyderus, gallwch chi ddechrau rŵan gan ddefnyddio ein canllawiau cam wrth gam. Peidiwch â phoeni os nad ydych yn hyderus gyda chyfrifiaduron – gellwch gysylltu â ni hefyd os ydych chi angen help, gellwch awgrymu gwneud hyn gydag aelod o’ch teulu, ac efallai y gallem ni eich cysylltu â grŵp lleol fydd yn creu Llyfrau ar y cyd. Os ydych chi eisiau creu Llyfr, mi wnawn ni chwilio am ffordd i’ch helpu chi.