More than memory

Yesterday's event was the second Life Changes Trust gathering I've been to and it was another day of energetic discussion and making connections. One of the many great conversations was with Agnes Houston who has been living with dementia for over nine years. Among many other achievements, Agnes has recently gathered and published experiences of people living with dementia, describing the changes to their hearing and their sense of touch and smell in their own words. Speaking from her own experience, Agnes writes 'I expected the memory issues but when I started to have sensory challenges I did not know what was going on'. 

This booklet highlights some of the issues that we are also hearing about during our discussions. Sensory changes can make travel even more challenging and some of the quotes that Agnes has gathered during the research for this booklet are key for those thinking about designing mobility services, as are some of the hints and tips:

"In noisy environments I just can't think...my brain shuts down..."

"difficulty processing what I see... stairs, light, black on black, glass doors"

Agnes has been appointed a Churchill Fellow for 2016 which will allow her to carry on this work further afield and we're looking forward to hearing her findings.