What is an Identity Book?
An Identity Book is a simple photo album meant to serve as a resource for Alzheimer's patients and their families. Identity Books can be helpful in all stages of the disease. In the early stages, as recent memories start to become foggy, the photos help to jog their memory. One woman told me that when her father first looked through his book he began to reminisce about the people and the events in the photos, memories which everyone thought that he had lost. The loss of memory can be frustrating and an Identity Book can serve as a comfort. In later stages, when memories become out of reach, is when the books truly become “Identity” books, A friend of my mom’s, who made an identity book for her father, says that her father carried his book everywhere as his disease progressed, and he was able to give it to his outside caregivers to tell them his story when he was no longer able to. This makes the patient less anonymous to their caregivers and allows them to make a more personal connection with their patient. And, even after the loved one has passed away, it provides a tribute which the family can keep for years to come.
An Identity Book is a simple photo album meant to serve as a resource for Alzheimer's patients and their families. Identity Books can be helpful in all stages of the disease. In the early stages, as recent memories start to become foggy, the photos help to jog their memory. One woman told me that when her father first looked through his book he began to reminisce about the people and the events in the photos, memories which everyone thought that he had lost. The loss of memory can be frustrating and an Identity Book can serve as a comfort. In later stages, when memories become out of reach, is when the books truly become “Identity” books, A friend of my mom’s, who made an identity book for her father, says that her father carried his book everywhere as his disease progressed, and he was able to give it to his outside caregivers to tell them his story when he was no longer able to. This makes the patient less anonymous to their caregivers and allows them to make a more personal connection with their patient. And, even after the loved one has passed away, it provides a tribute which the family can keep for years to come.
For more information and instructions on making an identity book...