Reminiscence and life story work

Lind, M., Bluck, S., & Barbour, E. (2025). Digital Life Story Books: Intervention to maintain sense of self in older adults with memory difficulties. Educational Gerontology, 51(1), 88–101.

This systematic literature review aimed to collect past reviews and provide a thorough overview of the use, benefits, and impact of the Life Story Book for the person with dementia, the relatives, family, and caregivers. The electronic databases PubMed, Scopus, Science Direct and Web of Science as well as grey literature through Google Scholar were searched to select the relevant studies. Seven studies that meet the inclusion criteria were selected and data synthesised.
Subramaniam P, Thillainathan P, Mat Ghani NA, Sharma S.(2023) Life Story Book to enhance communication in persons with dementia: A systematic review of reviews. PLoS One;18(10):e0291620

Looks at nine key features of good practice that could be used to guide the life story work process. Key elements include the recognition that not everyone will want to take part in life story work and that some people may even find it distressing; the importance of being led by the person with dementia themselves; the need for training and support for staff, carers and volunteers; and the potential for life story work to celebrate the person’s life today and look to the future.
Gridley, K., Birks, Y., & Parker, G. (2020). Exploring good practice in life story work with people with dementia: The findings of a qualitative study looking at the multiple views of stakeholders. Dementia, 19(2), 182–194. https://doi.org/10.1177/1471301218768921

This essay describes the first phase of a project in which life writing is used as a form of person-centred care for people who have, or appear to have, dementia.
Richard Freadman & Paula Bain (2016) Life Writing and Dementia Care: A Project to Assist those ‘with Dementia’ to Tell their Stories, Life Writing, 13:1, 105-126

This website provides templates, guidance and also discusses the benefits and research relevant to creating a life story book

In a memory book photos and descriptions provide the details that a person with dementia often forgets. This template enables you to create a memory book.

With time to reminisce and a bit of prompting, we all have stories to tell. Reminiscing in a supportive environment and with a focus on strengths and positives can lift an older person’s mood, reminding them – and their support workers – of their resourcefulness and depth of experience.

This page has top tips and resources to help you learn more about a person with dementia’s life story.

An accessible resource for meaningful engagement in creative reminiscence and life story work. Includes facilitation tips, resource templates and more.

A booklet about reminiscence and how it enabled my family to help my mother experience fun and joy in the years following her diagnosis with Alzheimer’s. I also give guidelines and suggestions for how you might use reminiscence to support you to connect with the person with dementia in your life. If you have recently received a diagnosis of dementia in your family or if you are a carer and you want to get to know your client a little better, you might find some of the suggested shared activities useful to you.