Life Story

Product Information

and supporting a person with dementia’ (524),‘ Dementia and the brain’ (456), ‘ Changes in behaviour’ (525) and ‘ Top A Life Story Book is just one of the many elements of Life Journey Work. The Life Story Book is often considered to be the end product, while the life journey work is the process of helping the child to internalise their story. While this may be the case for children in care, for pre-verbal and younger children who are adopted, the book may be the starting point. It will provide the foundation for the adoptive parent to help the child understand their early history and to answer the what, why, when and how questions they may have, in an age appropriate way and as they arise. It is the adoptive parent who will need to help the child process their information in the years ahead. Our dedicated team at StoryKeeper is committed to ensuring that your journey into the past is a seamless and enjoyable one. With our user-friendly platform and tailored prompts, writing a book about your life becomes an engaging and fulfilling experience.

Social workers, adoptive parents and foster carers, residential staff, teachers and nursery nurses wanting to use life story work as a way of helping children. What you will find in this book

What is the Purpose of a Life Story Book?

Then a simple account about the decisions made by the social workers, police and the judge will help a child begin to understand who made the decisions about their future.

Some people put together memory boards to help rekindle memories – and to remind a person with dementia of important future dates or appointments. The boards are usually mounted on a wall and can include a calendar and important family and holiday pictures that can be changed on a regular basis. Adoptive parents will need to parent therapeutically - with empathy, with understanding of the child's 'inner world', and with an awareness of the impact that early experiences continue to have on the child’s behaviour. To help them achieve this, their social worker will provide a 'later life letter', a chronology and a detailed history to share with the child at the appropriate times. Meanwhile, to enable them to start the re-parenting process they need a sensitively prepared Life Story Book. The book is the basic tool, the first ‘tier’ to build on, at the child’s pace.The preferred format for most children under the age of 10 years would be: Present - Past- Present - Future. The child's history must be presented honestly in the book, but it should be safely contained and in proportion to the rest of the child's life; Music can lift the mood or spirit of a person with dementia – and can help them to remember good times in their lives (for example, when they met someone special or attended a memorable event, such as a concert, play or family celebration). Sporting memory projects are great examples of life story and reminiscence work. Two current major initiatives are the Sporting Memories Network and the Football Reminiscence Project.

A favourite tune or song can raise a smile or laugh and can ease anxiety. It can also play a key role in helping family, friends and care workers to engage with the person when communication is difficult or non-existent. Even if the person has not heard a particular song from their teens for many years, the chances are that if they hear it again they will still be able to remember every word and sing along. Rodger Walker formerly managed the fostering and adoption services for Leeds City Council. Now semi-retired, he provides training and support in life story work for an independent fostering agency. NOW AVAILABLE AS AN EBOOK!

Feel connected to loved ones

The following suggestions are based on the Joy Rees Approach and are integral to how we want to approach this important work)