A book to spark memories, start conversations and bring people together.
What was your first job? What did you wear to work? Who were the colleagues you still remember? And how different was working life in the 1970s and 1980s?
Our working lives are about so much more than earning a living. They are part of our identity, our relationships and the stories that make us who we are.
Working All Hours is the third reminiscence book produced by Younger People With Dementia CIO (YPWD). Bringing together a collection of images and memory prompts exploring working life in the 1970s and 1980s, it has been created to encourage younger people living with dementia to explore memories, share experiences and connect with others.
Whether you are looking for something meaningful to enjoy with a partner or family member, a resource for a community group, or a practical addition to your professional work, Working All Hours offers a starting point for conversations that matter.
Order your copy · £9.99 Order Working All HoursFor families, community groups and professionals.
A familiar photograph, a glimpse of an old workplace or a memory of a favourite song can open the door to a conversation. One memory can lead to another, bringing stories, experiences and shared laughter into the moment.
Working All Hours is designed to help make those opportunities possible. There is no need to read it from beginning to end and there are no right or wrong answers. Simply open a page, explore the images and prompts, and see where the conversation takes you.
The aim isn't to test someone's memory. It's to create opportunities to enjoy time together, express ourselves and reconnect with the experiences that have shaped our lives.
Whether you're spending time with someone close to you or supporting people in a professional setting, Working All Hours offers a starting point for meaningful conversations.
Looking for something you can enjoy together? Dip into the book over a cup of tea, explore a photograph or share stories about your working lives. You might discover something new about someone you have known for years, or simply enjoy a few moments of connection.
The book offers familiar themes, images and prompts to explore at your own pace. Choose the pages that interest you, share as much or as little as you wish, and follow memories wherever they lead.
Working All Hours can be used as a conversation aid in memory clinics, care settings and community activities. It provides a starting point for exploring personal experiences, encouraging engagement and supporting meaningful interactions.
Use a page as the starting point for a group discussion. Stories about first jobs, colleagues, working routines and changes over time can encourage people to share experiences, discover common ground and learn more about one another.
There's no set routine to follow. Here are a few simple ways to get a conversation started.
Ask what catches someone's eye or whether the image reminds them of anything.
Conversations feel more natural when everyone contributes.
A prompt about work might lead to memories of school, music, family life or a favourite day out.
A few minutes with one page can be just as valuable as a longer session. Let the person's interests and energy guide you.
Memories do not need to be complete or perfectly recalled. The opportunity to share and connect is what matters.
There is no right or wrong way to use the book. The most important thing is to make the experience enjoyable and meaningful for the person taking part.
Sometimes, the simplest things can create the most meaningful moments.
One family told us how they used one of YPWD's reminiscence books over Christmas with a family member living with young onset dementia who was non-verbal much of the time.
Rather than simply looking through the book, they used its pictures and prompts as the starting point for an afternoon of shared discovery. They looked up familiar songs, found music and film clips on YouTube, sang together and talked about memories prompted by the pages.
What began with a book turned into hours of shared activity, music, conversation and connection, giving the family a way to spend meaningful time together during the festive season.
Their experience is a wonderful example of how Working All Hours can be used in different ways. A picture might lead to a favourite song, a song to a film clip, and a film clip to a memory or a story.
There is no set way to use the book. The possibilities are as individual as the people sharing it.
Because sometimes it's not about finding the right words. It's about finding ways to enjoy a moment together.
What inspired Working All Hours? How can reminiscence help people living with young onset dementia? And how can a book open up opportunities for meaningful conversations?
We asked Dr Jacqueline Hussey, one of the book's authors, to share the thinking behind Working All Hours and how she hopes people will use it.
There are still too few resources specifically designed for younger people living with dementia. We wanted to create a book that people could enjoy, explore and return to, using pictures and memory prompts to encourage engagement and help people connect with others through reading and conversation.
We had already produced two reminiscence books and wanted to explore a theme that would resonate with a wide range of people.
Work is such an important part of our identity, whether we were teachers, hairdressers, factory workers, office workers or homemakers. Our working lives shape our experiences, relationships and the stories we carry with us.
Research into reminiscence-based approaches has identified potential benefits for the wellbeing, mood and confidence of people living with dementia.
Sharing memories can provide opportunities for self-expression, connection and enjoyment. A familiar picture or a simple prompt may help someone start a conversation, share an experience or connect with another person.
All sorts! Some pages might bring back memories of previous jobs and working relationships, while others might lead to childhood memories of school, visits to the cinema or other experiences.
The book includes song and picture prompts, which can encourage people to explore different memories and follow conversations in unexpected directions. You never quite know where a memory might lead!
The book was created with younger people living with dementia and their families in mind, particularly as something to explore together in an interactive way.
I have also used it in clinic settings, where it can provide a more everyday context for exploring reading abilities, language and recall. Within YPWD, we have also used the book in group activities.
It may also be useful for Occupational Therapists and other healthcare professionals working in memory clinics and care settings, as a resource to encourage conversation and engagement.
It would make a great gift for someone living with dementia. It offers an opportunity to sit together, look at pictures, share experiences and enjoy conversations that might otherwise never happen.
Whether you use it at home, in a group or in a professional setting, it is a resource to dip into, explore and enjoy together.
Whether you are buying for someone you love, looking for a thoughtful gift or seeking a resource for your professional practice, Working All Hours offers an invitation to look back, share experiences and discover the stories that connect us.
Every working life has a story to tell. Why not start a conversation of your own?
Available through the YPWD bookshop.
Your purchase also helps support the work of Younger People With Dementia CIO and its services for younger people living with dementia and their families.
We would love to hear about your experience. If a page has sparked a conversation, brought a memory to life or helped you enjoy time together, please get in touch and share your story.
Your feedback could help other families and professionals discover new ways to use the book.
Share your experience