Life story resources in dementia care: a review.

Jacqueline Kindell,Simon Burrow,Ray Wilkinson,John David Keady

doi:10.1108/qaoa-02-2014-0003

Jacqueline Kindell, Simon Burrow + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1108/qaoa-02-2014-0003

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Abstract

PurposeLife story work has a relatively long tradition in the caring sciences and is recognised as an important component of dementia care and practice. However, to date, there has not been a review of accessible life story resources. The paper aims to discuss these issues.Design/methodology/approachFollowing a systematic approach to identification and inclusion, 11 life story resources were reviewed to ascertain areas of commonality and divergence between the materials.FindingsThe authors were able to group the analysis under eight areas and at the end of this process, it was uncertain if life story work is a formal staff intervention or an informal activity that people with dementia and their families could engage in. Resources also varied in terms of whether the life story information was organised in a chronological way, or with topics of interest/discussion or with a combination of both. Life story evaluation and its impact on the life of the person with dementia is in need of development.Practical implicationsAcross the resources the authors identified four reasons to do life story work which the authors have named as: emotional connections; interactional connections; building new connections and practical care connections.Social implicationsThere was limited guidance aimed at helping people with dementia to develop and compile their own life story.Originality/valueThis paper provides new insights into the usefulness, future directions and content of life story resources in dementia care. It will be of interest to those in health and social care as well as people living with dementia.

Highlights

The utility of a personal biography to contextualise and understand ageing has a relatively long history in the gerontological literature and in the “hands-on” care of older people
This paper provides new insights into the usefulness, future directions and content of life story resources in dementia care
It was notable that an early well-regarded resource (It Started with a Sea-Shell [5]) remains relevant 20 years later, for example, in the advice to start life story work with the person with dementia and that, by doing so, created a resource “that reflects the issues and events of most importance to that person” (p. 16)

Summary

Introduction

The utility of a personal biography to contextualise and understand ageing has a relatively long history in the gerontological literature and in the “hands-on” care of older people (see e.g. Butler, 1963). As all recounted stories stem from individual human experience, Johnson (1986) cautions that such accounts are prone to selective recall and pose a (potentially) distorted reflection of the “truth” This is especially evident when stories are recalled through the lens of time, or when past (or present) distressing life events, for example, are cognitively reframed to become more palatable to enable everyday functioning. As Hydén (1997) argues, for older people especially, locating and articulating a biographical connection between past and present life events is one way of preserving the narrator’s personal identity and affirming a sense of agency and self. This connection should not be lightly broken

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