Brand Guidelines

House style

• All our publications must be accessible, honest and respectful.
• We believe that our work with people with dementia should always be people-centred, inclusive and non-discriminatory.
• Try not to label people with terms such as ‘the disabled’, ‘the mentally ill’, ‘the aged’. These terms define the person by their condition or situation. Use instead ‘people with a disability’, ‘people with mental health problems’ and ‘older people’, for example.
• Do not use abbreviations to describe people. For example, do not use  ‘PWD’ (people with dementia), ‘YPWD’ (younger people with dementia) or ‘BME’ (black and minority ethnic).
• When writing about dementia, tell it like it is. Address the issues but do not exaggerate them
• Where appropriate, use a person’s own words to tell their story.
• Avoid language that dis-empowers people with dementia by making them seem passive, childlike or to be pitied.
• Do not use the words ‘sufferer’, ‘suffer from’ or ‘victim’. Where possible, use ‘supporting the person to eat/dress/use the toilet’ rather than ‘feeding’, ‘dressing’ or ‘toileting’.

Tips on good writing

• Know what you want to say.
• Never use a metaphor, simile or other figure of speech.
• Never use a long word when a short word will do. 
• If it is possible to cut out a word, always cut it out. 
• Never use the passive where you can use the active. 
• Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent. 
• Make a plan and follow it when you start writing. 
• Be logical, and your argument will flow naturally. 
• Keep it simple. Use short words, short sentences, and short paragraphs. 
• Check it, and then check it again. 
• All our publications must be accessible, honest and respectful.
  

Download the full House style guidelines for more detailed information.