‘There are lots of things that help us all stay well which are equally as important for those with a learning disability. For people with a learning disability there are some additional things which may be useful for us to consider.
As families we hold so much rich information about our loved one in our internal filing system and the resources below enable us to share this with others to ensure it is not lost when we are no longer around.' - Essex Carers Network
Life stories and Memory boxes enable others to see beyond the learning disability and appreciate that each person has their own life history that sets them apart from other people.
They are essential documents that will help anyone supporting the person you care for, to know who they are, what their history is and have lots of suggestions of relevant things to talk to them about, particularly important if they have to move somewhere new.
What might we all have collected over the years that are likely to inspire good memories of places, people and events? Thinking about the person/people we care for, what things would we suggest they add to their life stories books and memory boxes?
Life stories and memories can be captured in many ways.
Here are a few ideas:
- Photo in an album with a simple narrative for each of who/where/when
- Touch screen or remote-control digital photo frame accompanied by an audio recording referencing each photo
- Talking photo album, a good way to capture voices of those important people in someone’s life
- Bags/boxes/see through storage boxes filled with a variety of important items, each labelled with a short explanation of why they are important and what the memory is. These can be decorated in a manner that also shows something about who the person is.
- Video recordings stored on a tablet/online storage
- Audio recordings stored on a tablet/online storage
You may have other creative ideas that you could share with other families.
The list is endless but what’s most important is that the style of life story and memory box is something that makes sense to the person that it belongs to.
Click on this link for more information and tips on supporting the person you care to produce their own life story: life-story-booklet-full-booklet.pdf (kcl.ac.uk)
Communication Passports
'A communication passport is a book that helps to convey important information about an individual. They can be used to bridge the gap in communication that people with communication difficulties often experience. Communication passports help to empower individuals and they help to inform the reader of a person's life and personality.' - Source: Essexice.co.uk
A person’s Communication Passport will be a key tool to help people who do not know them, to understand how to communicate with them and will help give them things to talk about as they get to know the person.
It does this by:
- Describing the person’s most effective means of communication, so that others can be better communication partners
- Drawing together information from past and present, from many people who know the person, and from different contexts
- Presenting the person positively as an individual, not as a set of ‘problems’ or disabilities
Does the person you support have a up to date Communication Passport?
Follow this link to find out more information about Communication passports and to see some examples.
Communication Passports | Inclusive Communication Essex (essexice.co.uk)