Year published: 2015
Jenny’s Diary is a free booklet and a set of postcards aimed at supporting conversations about dementia with people who have a learning (intellectual) disability. Conversations about dementia are never easy. All dementia strategies in the UK state that everyone is entitled to know of their diagnosis, not only as a human rights issue but as part of developing appropriate and individualised post-diagnostic support. Currently there is limited guidance on how to explain dementia to an individual with a learning disability. Such reluctance to share information is not new, particularly in relation to breaking bad news about an illness. There is typically a fear of what will be understood, what words to use, and how to cope with the response. Jenny’s Diary takes a three-step approach to address this:
- Part 1 opens dialogue about why Jenny is behaving differently, and how she can be supported to live as well as possible with dementia.
- Part 2 suggests how to have a conversation with Jenny about her diagnosis of dementia.
- Part 3 contains guidance to talk about dementia with George, Jenny’s partner.