Focused paragraphs
In a dementia-friendly document, paragraphs should be shorter and more concise than in other types of writing. Shorter paragraphs make the content easier to read and understand. This is especially helpful for people living with dementia, who may have difficulty with processing or remembering information.
When you're planning how to structure your document, think about the three following elements:
1 PARAGRAPH LENGTH
Break up the text into smaller chunks. This way, readers are less likely to become overwhelmed or lost in the content. A good rule of thumb is to keep your paragraphs around 150 words long on average. Vary the length of paragraphs in your document to keep the writing interesting. Some paragraphs will be much shorter than others, but generally try not to go over 250 words.
2 PARAGRAPH LAYOUT
Shorter paragraphs also help to create a visually clear layout for your document.
When you have short paragraphs, you’ll have more blank space on the page. This makes information much easier to read and process.
Organize the content using subheadings, bullet points, and other formatting techniques. This helps to make it more visually appealing and accessible.
And if you possibly can, finish a paragraph on the same page it starts on.
3 PARAGRAPH CONTENT
When it comes to content, it’s helpful if each paragraph makes sense on its own. Readers shouldn't have to remember what was in the previous paragraph to be able to make sense of the current one.
Make sure that each paragraph you write deals with one 'unit of thought' or topic. A very helpful way of doing this is to start each paragraph with a 'topic sentence'. The topic sentence should clearly state the main idea of the paragraph in a concise and straightforward way. It should give the reader a clear idea of what to expect from the rest of the paragraph.
Keep the rest of the paragraph closely related to the topic sentence.
QUESTIONS?
Questions? Like to chat more about making your written information dementia-friendy? I’d love to help!
Heather Eason is a translator, Plain English editor and proofreader. She recently launched the Dementia-friendly writing initiative to help businesses, organizations and individuals make their information accessible to people living with dementia.
Heather has extensive lived experience of dementia through supporting her partner and mum. In her spare time she loves reading, swimming, yoga and walking in the countryside of South Wales.
