As a result of her mother’s ten years of dementia, Sarah developed an enduring passion for the lives of people living with dementia. She wanted to improve their sense of well-being and self-esteem through better relationships. Through her own personal experiences she believed that by improving communication, you could improve care.

An earlier career as a creative producer in film and then six years’ research, inspired the publication of Many Happy Returns 1940s and 1950s Chatterbox cards. The award-winning cards can now be found in ten thousand family homes, care homes, hospitals, libraries, schools and community centres across the UK.

In 2009, Sarah researched and developed the evidence base for the REAL Communication framework. This provides a basis for good relational care of people with dementia in any setting. Earlier experience as a part-time University lecturer and examiner in visual communication, led her to develop studio-based learning workshops to help care givers develop their interactive communication skills. To date, REAL Communication Workshops have been attended by over a thousand people in the care sector across the UK.