Free printable life story template

What's inside the template?

• A cover page for their name and a favourite portrait.
• "My name is…": their full name and the name they like to be called.
• A page for each chapter: growing up, family, school, work, love, children and grandchildren, homes, holidays, hobbies, music, pets, faith (if it matters to them), friends and life now. Each has two prompts in large type with an example answer, widely spaced lines to write on, and a space for a photo.
• The people in my life now, with space for their names and who they are.
• Things I love and things I don't.
• An "About me" page for carers, with six questions: the name they like to be called, the best way to talk with them, what they enjoy talking about, what helps them feel calm, the food and drink they like, and the people who matter to them. They're the same six a Treasurefold book starts with. In the book, families can swap any of them for others from our list, or write up to two of their own.
• A short note for visitors on how to use the book together.

The prompts are our own, written in plain language. If you'd like more, our list of life story questions to ask has over 80, organised by chapter.

How do you use the template?

1. Print it single-sided on the thickest paper your printer takes. A4 card is ideal.
2. Pick your chapters. You don't need them all. Skip any that don't fit and print extra copies of the ones where there's more to say.
3. Gather photos for each chapter. Ask relatives for theirs; our guide to collecting photos and memories includes a message you can copy.
4. Stick in one photo per page, or print photos to fit the box.
5. Write a short caption in large, clear handwriting, in the first person: "We went to Filey every summer."
6. Fill in the "About me" page and make a copy for the care home or hospital bag.
7. Protect the pages if you like. Plastic pockets in a ring binder keep the pages clean and together. Laminating is optional: it is most useful for the "About me" page, which carers handle a lot.

Why is it laid out like this?

The template follows published dementia-friendly design guidance: one idea per page, the photo in the same place every time, large writing space, plain backgrounds and strong contrast. Dementia UK's advice for life story books is to keep things simple, with one font and size and no more than two contrasting colours. Our guide to dementia-friendly design explains the reasoning.

Tips for filling it in

• Do one chapter at a time, at a pace that suits everyone.
• Use their words where you can, and the names they use.
• Write in pen, large and clear. Printed labels work well if handwriting is hard to read.
• Leave out anything they'd be uncomfortable with carers or visitors seeing.
• Keep it current: add new people and update the "life now" pages over time.

Who is the template for?

It's for anyone who wants to make a life story book by hand: a son or daughter preparing for a care home move, a grandchild making a gift, a friend helping out, or an activity coordinator working with a resident's family. It suits people who enjoy writing and sticking things in, and families who'd like to sit down together with a box of old photos and fill it in over a few afternoons.

It works at any stage. If your relative can take part, use their words for the captions and let them choose the photos. If they can't, the prompts help the family piece the story together from what everyone remembers.

What do you need to make the book?

• A printer, and thick paper or card (A4)
• Photos: prints, or phone photos printed at a chemist or photo kiosk
• A glue stick or photo corners, and a black pen that doesn't smudge
• Optional: plastic pockets and a ring binder, or a laminator for the pages handled most
• A few evenings, and ideally a few relatives to help

Template or printed book: which is right for you?

There's no wrong answer. You could start with the template to gather your thoughts, then decide whether to make it by hand or have it printed.

Are there other free templates?

Yes. Dementia UK publishes a free life story template, and Alzheimer's Society's free "This is me" leaflet is widely used by hospitals and care homes as a one-page profile. Many NHS trusts and care homes have their own forms too. Use whichever suits you; if a care home asks for its own form, fill that in as well.

Would you rather it was done for you?

A template is a great start if you have the time and a printer. If you don't, Treasurefold does the layout and printing for you: the whole family adds photos and memories through one link, and a printed book with a 300gsm card cover and 100gsm inside pages arrives in the post with an "About me" sheet for carers. See how it works.