Memory Kits – what to ask for

If you’re a care partner, and your person lives with dementia or cognitive loss, you may be struggling to find ways to really engage them. It’s wonderful to walk into a public library and see Memory Kits on display – kits full of activities designed to engage and stimulate, to get conversations going, to bring pleasure rather than frustration.

But what if you’ve never seen a Memory Kit and don’t know what you’re looking for – or even that they exist? I was at an event recently and met several home care providers who hadn’t heard of them (probably not yet offered by libraries in their area). So let’s look together at Memory Kits and what to ask for at YOUR local library.

What they’re called…

The language varies: they could be known as Memory Kits, Memory Care Kits, Dementia Care Kits, Memory Bags, Reminiscence Kits, or Active Minds Kits. I’ve heard of ‘Mind Alive’ kits, ‘Memory Minder’ kits and ‘Healthy Brain’ kits.

The kits could be divided even further, into Sensory Kits and Activity Kits. There may be themes, like food, gardening, ‘Men’s Shed’ or seasonal themes. The kits may be part of a ‘Library of Things’.

You may not actually see them on display because they are part of a home delivery system. Or the library staff may tell you that they are not yet in stock, but being planned, or included in next year’s budget, or on their ‘wish list’… in which case, keep asking! Libraries always try to meet local needs.

What would you expect to find inside a kit?

Here are the contents of the bag you saw in the first picture…

Generally, you’d expect a selection of some of these things…it will vary from library to library:

Photographs (both new and retro)
Conversation starter cards
Sorting games, card games, dominoes
Books, including ‘no text’ or ‘low text’ picture books (for adults, not children)
Simple jigsaw puzzles with a relevant theme
Colouring pages, puzzle pages
Tactile objects to fit the theme, like fabric swatches or vintage tools
Fidget toys
Music CDs or DVDs, or music boxes
Nostalgic items
Supportive books or leaflets for care partners – and instructions for you on how to use the kit

You can also find librarians showing the contents of their library’s memory kits on YouTube… just search and enjoy.

What do you do with a Memory Kit?

You can’t just drop it on the table and expect your person to look at it and be entertained. The kit is for you to share with them. So start off by looking at the Carer Guide or Carer Tips.

Then open up the kit and look together at what’s inside. Let your person handle the items. You might observe them and ask open-ended questions that relate the objects to their lives. You’re looking for questions that allow them to speak with authority and to share who they are with you. (Remember to leave up to 90 seconds for them to gather their thoughts before they reply… it can take time.)

“Carrot seeds! You’ve grown a lot of vegetables in your time… what was your secret?”

“That music makes me want to tap my feet. Was that the kind of music you danced to back in the day?”

“I‘m not sure what that picture is – is it an old radio, do you think? …. Really? Did your family have one like that?”

What are the benefits?

There are benefits for your person, of course. The value of reminiscence, of being an expert again, of finding activities that don’t cause anxiety, as well as the cognitive stimulation. (If your person is already enrolled in a cognitive stimulation therapy programs, that’s wonderful. The program leader will probably also have suggestions for making the most of the activities.)

There are also benefits for you, the care partner.

As you find ways to engage your person and to connect with them, it’s going to lift your spirits.
Libraries invest in quality items, so you can try them out before you spend money to buy your own. You might find that the giant playing cards are of no interest, but that easy themed jigsaws are perfect.
Your person’s capacity will change over time, and that’s when the different activities become so valuable. When word puzzles become too complex, you might try a sorting game.

So ask at your local library and see what’s available… or available nearby, or likely to be available soon.

Thanks to Subiaco Library! And thanks also to all those other libraries that have Memory Care Kits!

Dementia Action Week is nearly here

Dementia awareness events

If you’re in Australia, then you’ll know that Dementia Action Week is coming!

What could that mean for you? I’ll share local Perth events that I hear of on my Facebook page, but for events near you, check out the Dementia Australia Find an Event page: https://www.dementia.org.au/get-involved/dementia-action-week/dementia-action-week-events

If you’re hosting an event, you can list it with them too..

Dementia-friendly books at the library

Dementia-friendly books

It was such a nice experience to walk into my (redesigned and refurbished) local library and see two Unforgettable Notes books facing out on the Large Print display. The whole library has now got masses of face-out display, which I love. I totally judge a book by its cover!

I know it must be hard for libraries to work out how to shelve dementia-friendly books, especially since the books never mention dementia. I’ve seen them in Health, in Social Sciences, or put into (or displayed nearby) the Memory Care kits. I’ve heard librarians wonder if they should shelve them with Adult Literacy easy-read books. I think that visibility is the key, especially with books displayed at eye level, so this Large Print option is a good one.

I’m also not sure how families manage this situation, if they’re visiting the library with a loved one living with brain changes? How do you make this work for you, if you are one of those family members or friends? I’m guessing you ask in advance, and then wander towards the right section?

There’s a great article here from Forward with Dementia on dementia-friendly libraries and the value of shared reading groups: https://forwardwithdementia.au/news/libraries-and-people-with-dementia/ Thank you, libraries, for providing a place where everyone feels welcome and everyone can find something they’d love to read!

Covers of hardcover visitor books for dementia patients and eldercare

New: hardcover visitor books!

Dementia-friendly books

I know from the memoir books that some people prefer a hardcover book as more durable, and I wondered whether that might be true for visitor and guest books as well? Yes, it has taken me a while to get this happening, but at last I have the books uploaded, and ready to go! So these are hardcover versions of the most popular visitor books…

What are these visitor and guest books about?

They’re not just a ‘name and date’ entry. The whole point is for visitors to make it clear who they are (old colleague, grandson?), write a few lines about the visit, and key things they talked about, say if they brought anything or took anything away, then finally leave any special messages or the date of the next visit. You can see what I mean in this example:

Who are they for?

I call the visitor and guest books ‘dementia-friendly’, but that’s not the only use. They’re for anyone in residential care or at home, who is likely to have visitors, but might have problems remembering who came, what they talked about, or what they brought.

So this might mean someone living with brain changes, but also someone recovering from surgery, or from a stroke, or taking meds that make them sleepy, or living with disability or chronic conditions that affect concentration. The visitor can write in the book themselves, or the book owner can do their own writing after the visitor disappears.

Benefits of a visitor book

I love getting feedback on these books, because the reviews always talk about the pleasure a loved one has in re-reading the entries and reliving the delight of the visits.

It’s also such a relief for care partners to know who has visited, to know who left the grapes and where the photo album has gone (when someone has taken it to scan to digital). My dear mum often had a hard time recalling who had left the flowers in her room. I was so lucky that my dad could keep track, but that’s not the case for everyone.

Practical details

The interiors are the same, but the books are slightly bigger in size than the original soft cover books. That’s because the closest hardcover size available is 8.25 x 11. (Soft cover guest books are 8 x 10 and visitor books are 8.5 x 8.5.)

The new hardback books are available in the UK and in the US, but alas not yet in Australia (unless you pay massive postal charges). I’ve created the most popular two cover styles for each book, to cater for different tastes, and I hope they are useful to someone, somewhere!

Memory-friendly writing as an indie author

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This was me, in London last week at the Self-Publishing Show. It’s the third time I’ve been, and as always, so good to meet up with other indie authors. Alas, there was no-one else there writing dementia-friendly books. If you can think of anyone that I haven’t mentioned in my round-up of other authors and publishers (or if you are an indie author yourself and would like to know more), please get in touch! My contact details are: info AT thebooknextdoor.com (with the AT symbol, of course).

Why The Book Next Door? Well, that’s my overall publishing name, while Unforgettable Notes is my pen-name for my memory-friendly books. I know it’s a slightly odd pen-name, but I started out creating visitor books, so it seemed perfect at the time!

Anyway, back to the conference, which was excellent – so much to learn. There was a lot about the impact of AI of course, a lot about author visibility, and some fascinating ideas about fans and superfans… people who actually recommend an author’s books to other people. If that’s you, and you’ve ever recommended an Unforgettable Notes book, I’d love to hear what made you do it!

The same thing applies if you’re another memory-friendly author’s superfan – please let them know. We do get reviews, of course, but they are really written for other would-be customers, not for the author. It’s always so good to hear when a book has made a small difference in someone’s life.

Dementia-friendly book covers: Illustrated Bird Poetry, Illustrated Animal Poetry from Unforgettable Notes (Clare P Harris)

Illustrated animal and bird poetry!

Dementia-friendly books

I know, I know – I already have so many large print illustrated poetry books!

I had found some lovely bird and animal poems that I wanted to share, though, so here we are.

Choosing dementia-friendly poems

Sometimes people ask, “Why aren’t all the poems by really famous poets like Keats or Byron?” – but that’s not always easy, especially with animal poems.

Yes, many great poets have written about their pet cat or dog – but as a memorial to a deceased pet. Or reflecting on a wounded deer… While these poems may be beautiful, they could cause sadness or confusion in a reader living with brain changes, so I have chosen cheerful poems, sometimes by less well-known poets.

For example, I have to confess I didn’t really know the work of Herbert Asquith (not the long-ago UK Prime Minister, but his son). Yet I just love ‘The Hairy Dog’ – so simple and charming! I hope your loved ones will also enjoy these poems…

The Hairy Dog (Herbert Asquith)

My dog’s so furry I’ve not seen
His face for years and years;
His eyes are buried out of sight,
I only guess his ears.

When people ask me for his breed,
I do not know or care;
He has the beauty of them all
Hidden beneath his hair.

Here are some sample pages so you can see the layout of the books…

Shared reading

All the books are slim and light, for a ‘just-enough’ reading experience for poetry lovers living with exhaustion, mild cognitive loss, or recovering from stroke.

Some people will be delighted to read alone, but others will enjoy shared reading. Many studies show great benefits from reading together. You provide a supportive voice, so your loved one can read along with more confidence. This is especially important when brain changes have made reading more challenging.

The bonus: sharing your thoughts about the picture or the poem (or about life) can inspire wonderful discussions!

You may find the books at your local library, and you’ll certainly find them on Amazon:

Illustrated Bird Poetry: ISBN 9781922191854. Universal Amazon link: https://mybook.to/BirdPoetry

Illustrated Animal Poetry: ISBN 9781922191861. Universal Amazon link: https://mybook.to/AnimalPoetry

Photo of Angi McCluskey with book Wishing for Memories

Wishing for Memories: A collection from people living with dementia

Dementia awareness events

Yesterday I went to the launch of a wonderful book: a beautifully designed collection of writings from people living with dementia: Wishing for Memories.

How important to have the voices of those ‘experts by experience’, sharing their wishes and stories – and what stories they are. Past adventures and misadventures, romances, business successes, as well as health challenges… a huge variety of lives well lived!

As the introduction says: ‘…behind every diagnosis is a person with a rich and unique past, still worthy of recognition and celebration.’

In the picture you can see Angi McCluskey, who founded Forget-Me-Not Dementia Support, a registered charity that supports Forget-Me-Not Memory Cafes. There are now cafes running at 34 locations around Western Australia.

If you’d been at the launch, however, you’d have seen Angi pull many other people up to the podium, to be celebrated for their role in the project.

It must have been a huge task to gather together so many voices, but what a validating experience for everyone involved. I could really feel that as I chatted to people over an excellent morning tea (hosted by the City of Belmont).

Inspiration for everyone from Forget-Me-Not and from Act Belong Commit. Thank you! Here is the book cover!

Georgia Efford with dementia-friendly book, A Garden in Gooseberry Hill (Unforgettable Notes, with Clare P Harris)

A Garden in Gooseberry Hill and the Uthando Project

Dementia-friendly books

There’s a lovely photo of Georgia in the Perth Hills local newspaper, The Echo. She’s sitting in her garden with a copy of A Garden in Gooseberry Hill in her hands! I am so thrilled with this book.

Not everyone knows about the Uthando Project, which is where all proceeds from the sale of this book will be directed. Georgia received an OAM for her humanitarian work with the project, which supports vulnerable children in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa, and also offers a great sense of purpose and connection to the many doll-makers here in Australia and around the world. They make culturally appropriate dolls full of life and personality, and also support local doll-making in South Africa.

I have visited our wonderful partner agencies in South Africa, where the impact of the HIV/AIDS pandemic has brought loss and trauma to many children. We ran doll-making workshops for Zulu grandmothers who are now caring for their grandchildren, workshops which promote the healing and connecting value of play. It was such a joy to work with those amazing women and with our partner teams.

Do take a look at the website: uthandoproject.org. If you’re a doll-maker, you can find patterns there. If you’d like to support in other ways – well, one of those ways is through this book!

Picture of Uthando Project dolls and book A Garden in Gooseberry Hill

Picture of young woman reading to older woman for article on reading with dementia

Reading as a key to connection for people living with dementia

Reading for dementia

If you didn’t see this opinion piece in the Guardian, I really recommend it. It looks at the value of reading to people living with dementia – but also challenges the idea that people with dementia have in some way vanished, that they are no longer present. As writer Jo Granville points out, ‘How are you to know what is happening in someone else’s brain?’

In her article, ‘Reading was the key to breaking through the fog of my parents’ dementia!‘ she explores her accidental discovery of this:

Both continued to enjoy being read to until the end of their lives. They responded positively to hearing stories, poems and novels throughout their illnesses….

However, neither of them were able to communicate that they wanted me to read to them. I only discovered this by accident. My father would spend all day sitting silently in a chair…. To a casual visitor, he would appear to be “dead” to the world, apparently vacant. But he wasn’t – it was simply that, as I observed, Parkinson’s and dementia had robbed him of the ability to initiate a conversation or express a desire.

The value of shared reading

She goes on to describe how she reconnected with her father and her mother through reading to them, and mentions the research – which of course tends to focus more on the shared reading experience, which I’m more familiar with, and is mentioned in the letters responding to this article (there’s a link in the sidebar). Perhaps I should now let you read the article for yourself:

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/feb/01/reading-key-breaking-through-fog-parents-dementia

Read-along with Illustrated Nature Poetry

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I’ve started recording the verses from Illustrated Nature Poetry, and putting them on YouTube.

The idea is that a care partner can play them for a ‘listen and read’ or ‘listen and read-along’ experience. Here’s a link to the growing playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLv0Cnf1PQ5rIeiY16bUccl4sXuVSkC7Eh

Why is this needed? Well, all these books can be enjoyed as a shared reading experience. However, it’s possible that not all care partners will feel confident to read classic poetry aloud. Maybe they’re not a poetry fan, or maybe English is a language they are still learning… If that is so, then hopefully this audio can make the shared reading experience more fun.

Each poem has its own short video. I introduce the poem in a chatty voice, then read the poem twice, with the second reading a little slower, to allow someone to read along, if they’d like to. ‘If they’d like to’ is an important point, as I don’t want anyone to feel pressured. In fact, I got feedback when I trialled this audio, reminding me to make that very clear!

I’ll keep recording and hopefully soon have all 19 poems done. I’ll also make a short introductory video for care partners, to suggest ways they can extend the reading to include discussion and reminiscence.

I hope this will be useful! Let me know!