More about my book project
My grandmother Silvia June, the inspiration for the book
According to the Alzheimer’s Australia web site, there are more than 342,800 Australians living with dementia. This number is expected to increase to 400,000 in less than ten years. Three in ten people over the age of 85 and almost one in ten people over 65 have dementia.
My Grandmother Silvia June is among these sufferers. When my mother, who is her full time carer, told me of her inability to find any Australian picture books written for people with Dementia. I decided that I wanted to do something about this and write a book for my Nan.
My mother informed me that cares often resort to buying children’s books as their format is useful for people with dementia for several reasons. They have illustrations which are big, appealing and colorful. They are written in large easy to read fonts, which is important because people with dementia may also be vision impaired. Children’s books are usually short and written in uncomplicated language. Finely board books are good for people with dementia because they have a weight and substance which gives them important tactile appeal.
I wanted to write a picture book that was specifically for people with dementia with pictures of older people in it. According to Dr. Reisberg, a professor of psychiatry and director of the Fisher Alzheimer's program at New York University, "Books published for children and young adults may be easy to read, but they can be off-putting for people with Alzheimer's. If they see something as being childish, you have lost them."
A small number of picture books for people with dementia have been published in America and England and these have received great praise from carers, family members and health professionals alike. I hope to achieve similar success with my own book 'Simple Pleasures, Moments to Treasure'.
My Grandmother Silvia June is among these sufferers. When my mother, who is her full time carer, told me of her inability to find any Australian picture books written for people with Dementia. I decided that I wanted to do something about this and write a book for my Nan.
My mother informed me that cares often resort to buying children’s books as their format is useful for people with dementia for several reasons. They have illustrations which are big, appealing and colorful. They are written in large easy to read fonts, which is important because people with dementia may also be vision impaired. Children’s books are usually short and written in uncomplicated language. Finely board books are good for people with dementia because they have a weight and substance which gives them important tactile appeal.
I wanted to write a picture book that was specifically for people with dementia with pictures of older people in it. According to Dr. Reisberg, a professor of psychiatry and director of the Fisher Alzheimer's program at New York University, "Books published for children and young adults may be easy to read, but they can be off-putting for people with Alzheimer's. If they see something as being childish, you have lost them."
A small number of picture books for people with dementia have been published in America and England and these have received great praise from carers, family members and health professionals alike. I hope to achieve similar success with my own book 'Simple Pleasures, Moments to Treasure'.