Questions and answers

A life story book is a short, picture-led book about a person: where they grew up, the work they did, the people they love and the things that make them smile. For someone living with dementia it is a gentle conversation starter, and it helps carers, nurses and visitors get to know the person behind the condition.

A printed A4 book of up to 24 pages, covers included, with a 300gsm card cover and 100gsm inside pages, in the binding you choose: stapled £29.97, laminated and comb bound £34.97, or perfect bound £39.97, with UK delivery included. You also get a one-page "About me" sheet for the care home file or a hospital bedside. Extra copies of the same book are £10 stapled, £12 laminated and comb bound, £15 perfect bound. See pricing to compare the bindings.

The same paper in every binding. The cover is 300gsm card, so it stays firm when the book is picked up, passed round and read on a lap. The inside pages are 100gsm paper, which keeps the book light and the pages easy to turn. The separate "About me" sheet is 300gsm card, because carers handle it a lot. In the laminated, comb-bound book every page also has a thin matte laminate; the stapled and perfect-bound books aren't laminated, so keep them away from cups of tea and mop up any spill straight away.

One large photo, a short heading and one or two short sentences, written in the first person ("I married Jim in 1968"). One clear font in large type (captions 36 pt, nothing smaller than 24 pt), two strong colours and no busy backgrounds, following published dementia-friendly design guidance. Every photo sits in the same place on every page so it is easy to find your way. You can see every page in the sample book.

Choose laminated, comb bound (£34.97) if the book will be handled every day, at mealtimes or in a care home lounge: every page wipes clean and it lies flat when open. Choose stapled (£29.97) for the lightest, simplest book. Choose perfect bound (£39.97) if you'd like it to look like a paperback on the shelf. The pages, paper and "About me" sheet are the same in all three, and UK delivery is included.

Only if you choose the laminated, comb-bound book. Every page of it, covers included, has a thin matte laminate, so the pages can be wiped clean with a damp cloth and matte means less glare than gloss. It isn't waterproof: the edges and the comb holes aren't sealed, so dry any spill straight away. The stapled and perfect-bound books aren't laminated.

The laminated, comb-bound book, because the laminate covers both sides of every page and the pages can be wiped clean. All three have a 300gsm card cover. In the stapled and perfect-bound books the 100gsm inside pages aren't laminated, so they mark more easily and a spill can soak in. Whichever you choose, if a book arrives damaged or with a printing fault we reprint it free.

Like a paperback from a shop: the pages are glued into a spine, with a 300gsm card cover that wraps round them. The spine is slim (about 2 mm on a 24-page book), so there are no words on it. Like any paperback it doesn't lie flat when open, and it isn't laminated.

Not on the website: you choose the binding when you order, or when you buy a gift card, and every book and extra copy of that order is made in it. If you need to change it, email us. Extra copies ordered later are the same book in the same binding.

Most of the work is finding photos and remembering stories. The form takes you one chapter at a time with simple prompts, and the pages lay themselves out as you type, so many families can finish in an evening or two. Relatives can add their photos over a few days whenever suits them.

Yes, that is the idea. You get an invite link to share on WhatsApp, text or email. Relatives and old friends open it, add photos with a short caption, and answer a prompt or two. They don't need to create an account. You see everything they add and choose what goes in the book.

Only if they would like to. Many families sit together with old photos and use their words as the captions, which can be a lovely afternoon. Others build the book quietly and share it when it arrives. The book is about the person, so involve them as much as they want to be involved.

Photos from your phone are fine, and so are photos of old prints taken in good light. We check every photo and warn you if one is too small to print sharply. Please only add photos of other living people if you have their permission to share them.

Yes. When you are happy with the pages you ask for a proof, a PDF of the finished book. Check names, dates, spellings and that photos are the right way up, then approve it or ask for changes. Nothing is printed until you approve.

Your book is printed after you approve the proof and usually arrives within 5 to 7 working days, posted to any UK address. We email you when it is on its way.

Yes. Extra copies are the same book in the same binding, posted with your book: £10 stapled, £12 laminated and comb bound, £15 perfect bound each. So two copies of the stapled book are £39.97 and three are £49.97. They are popular for a second home, a sibling who lives further away, or one to keep at the care home and one at home. You can add them when you order or until we delete the book's photos, 30 days after it is posted.

You can cancel for a full refund at any time before you approve your proof. Because each book is made for one person, we can't take it back once it has been printed, but if it arrives damaged or with a printing fault we will reprint it free. See our terms.

For delivery before Christmas, order and approve your proof by 10 December. After that, a gift card is a lovely alternative: give it at Christmas and build the book together while the family is gathered, for delivery in January.

Your book is private and only reachable through your own links. We use your photos and answers only to make your book, and we delete them 30 days after your book is posted. We never sell or share them. Read the privacy notice.

No. The book is about a life, not an illness, so there are no questions about diagnosis, medication or medical history. The "About me" sheet covers the everyday things that help carers, in six short answers the family chooses from our questions or writes themselves, such as the name they like to be called, what they enjoy talking about, how they take their tea and what helps them feel calm. We ask families not to add medical details.

No. We are an independent business and we are not endorsed by any charity. Our layout follows published dementia-friendly design guidance, and our guides link to free advice from the NHS, Dementia UK, Alzheimer's Society and Age UK. If you need support, Dementia UK's Admiral Nurse Dementia Helpline is free on 0800 888 6678.

Yes. The book is A4, with a 300gsm card cover and 100gsm inside pages, and easy to keep by a bed or in a lounge (the laminated, comb-bound one wipes clean, which helps in a busy lounge), and the "About me" sheet is designed to sit in a care file. Care staff often ask families for a life history when someone moves in. If you work in a care home, see Treasurefold for care homes.