How storytelling helps people wth Alzheimer's

Giving Everyday Australians a Voice

September is World Alzheimer's Month and the disease affects up to 1 in 10 Australians over 65 years of age, and 3 in 10 over 85 years.

Research shows that storytelling for people suffering from dementia has psychological, cognitive and health benefits. It can decrease depression, anxiety and loneliness, and improve mental health, general wellbeing, social interactions, quality of life and mood.

Dimity Brassil is an expert on this, empowering older everyday humble and heroic Australians with Alzheimer’s and dementia share their life stories in their own voice to use later on in the dementia journey and create lasting memories for their families.

Following the sudden deaths of her father and sister and preempting the inevitable passing of her mother Anne, 89, Dimity asked if she could record her life story. She agreed and the duo formed A Lasting Tale. 

Research shows we have a poor memory for sound, and the first thing you forget about a person is the sound of their voice, but via its DIY interviewing guide or professional podcasting service, A Lasting Tale enables the interviewee to record key information and stories that families can keep as a personalised audio series forever. 

“Every day I’m learning more that there is a need for this,” says Dimity. “Families often contact us when their parents or grandparents have been diagnosed with early-stage Alzheimer’s or dementia, and they really see the urgency to capture their life stories, for their families and the person sharing their story. 

“Recording life stories in the early stages of dementia means important details are captured for future care and treatment for the subject, in addition to the meaning it creates for their family.

“When my father and sister died, I realised that we really didn’t have a lot of history recorded about them – particularly of my sister, who had a young child,” says Dimity.

“I realised that we would soon forget the sound of her voice, and that we hadn’t captured many of her stories in her voice for her daughter to hear.

“I wanted to do the same for mum, as she’s a really interesting person. I wanted to hear mum’s stories in her own voice, like a personal podcast. Most people – even her children and most definitely her grandchildren – didn’t know the true extent of her achievements, her community work, or her astute, witty and often acerbic observations on the play of life.”

A Lasting Tale has just launched nationwide, with 40 professional journalists recording private audio life stories for families Australia-wide. To date, more than 1500 everyday Aussies have recorded their life stories for their families.

It has a free mobile app and DImitty also works with retirement villages, palliative providers, libraries and community organisations, and runs specialist life story intergenerational programs in aged care.

Dimity is a 2023 AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award NSW/ACT State Finalist. Her mother, Anne lives in Wagga Wagga, and is still telling a tall tale or two!