24/11/2025
Hi Guys,
Thanks for joining us at our Dementia Interpreters sessions. Following up on that, We’d like to share some useful resources to support you in your ongoing journey with dementia care: the Dementia Dictionary and the Reading Well for Dementia booklist.
1. The Dementia Dictionary — How to Access & Use
• The Dementia Dictionary is completely free to use, available online here: Dementia Interpreter — Dementia Dictionary dementiainterpreter.uk
• On the site, you can search for actions, behaviours, noises, body language, and more — to better understand what a person with dementia might be communicating.
• If something isn’t already defined, you can submit your own observation or question (e.g. a behaviour or sound) to the community of Dementia Interpreters.
• That question then goes into the Dementia Interpreter community forum, where trained Dementia Interpreters share their lived experience, vote on possible “translations,” and collectively decide on definitions.
• Over time, the dictionary grows — because dementia is highly individual, there can be multiple possible meanings for the same behaviour, and your contribution helps make it richer.
Why use it?
It’s more than a reference tool — it’s a shared, evolving language of support. By using and contributing to the dictionary, we deepen understanding, reduce misinterpretation, and build stronger, more compassionate connections.
2. Reading Well for Dementia — How to Access the Books
• The Reading Well for Dementia booklist is provided by The Reading Agency, and was curated by people living with dementia, carers, and healthcare professionals.
• You can borrow these books from your local public library — all you need is a library card.
• If your library doesn’t have a particular title, you can often reserve it or request an inter-library loan.
• Many of the recommended titles are available in multiple formats — print, e-books, and audiobooks — to suit different preferences or needs. shop.readingagency.org.uk
• If you’re in Wales, the Reading Well scheme is fully available in both English and Welsh.
• For more information—or to explore the full list and digital resources—you can check: The Reading Agency’s Reading Well for Dementia. shop.readingagency.org.uk
Why use these books?
They offer expert-endorsed information, practical advice, and personal stories — helping both people with dementia and their carers feel understood, supported, and empowered.
If you’d like help navigating either of these resources (for example, how to submit a question to the Dementia Dictionary, or how to find a particular book in your local library), just let us know. We’re very happy to help.
WORLD WALKS AGAINST DEMENTIA 2025
Dementia Matters in Powys
Training 2 Care UK Ltd
