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Carissa Spisak holds a doctorate in speech-language pathology.

Doctor Carissa
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  • Cover: Conversation Cards for Reminiscing, six printed cards with large-print questions such as Tell me about the street you grew up on, and picture cards for A friendly hello and Pets.
  • One card from each of the six themes: Childhood, Home and family, Work, Holidays and seasons, Music and movies, Food and travel.
  • Close-up of one card: a Childhood tab, the question Tell me about the street you grew up on in large print, and the follow-up Who lived next door?
  • Two pages of picture cards, each with a picture, a topic such as Family, Music or Gardens, and one question.
  • The blank card page with example topics typed in, and one picture card shown in five skin tones.
  • A card page and the page of card backs that prints behind it in the two-sided file.
  • Four steps: download, print and cut, pick a few cards, talk together. A digital file; no physical item is shipped.

7 pictures: swipe to see them all, tap one to zoom.

Conversation Cards for Reminiscing

Large-print conversation cards for an older adult, including someone living with dementia, and the family, friends and visitors who sit with them. Each card has one open question that invites a story, such as "Tell me about the street you grew up on", and a follow-up for when the story slows down ("Who lived next door?"). There are no right or wrong answers, and no card asks "Do you remember?".

$4.99printable PDF

Buy on Etsy
  • Instant download
  • 21 pages in each one-sided PDF
  • US Letter and A4
  • Fill-in fields need the free Adobe Acrobat Reader

You buy it in our Etsy shop and download the files right after checkout.

What’s inside

21 pages in each one-sided PDF

  1. Start here: what to print and how1 page
  2. How to use the cards: a short guide for a 10-minute chat1 page
  3. 60 question cards in six color-coded themes, 10 per theme, 120 questions in all: Childhood; Home and family; Work; Holidays and seasons; Music and movies; Food and travel12 pages
  4. 2 blank cards in every theme, to type your own question
  5. 12 picture cards to talk about: family, friends, walks, home, cars, coffee, a good meal, TV, music, pets, gardens, travel2 pages
  6. 6 blank cards for your own topics and questions1 page
  7. The picture cards that show people in 4 more skin tones, 5 in all2 pages
  8. Personal-use license and a note about the cards2 pages

$4.99printable PDF

Buy on Etsy
  • Instant download
  • 21 pages in each one-sided PDF
  • US Letter and A4
  • Fill-in fields need the free Adobe Acrobat Reader

Card backs

The two-sided files put a card back behind every card page, with the theme name on it. Choose "Print on both sides" and "Flip on long edge". Or print the one-sided file and skip the backs.

Who it is for

An older adult, including someone living with dementia, and the family, friends and visitors who sit with them.

How it works

  1. Print on cardstock and cut along the dashed lines.
  2. Pick three or four cards from a theme the person enjoys.
  3. Read the large question aloud, wait, and listen. Share a story of your own, and follow the story wherever it goes.
  4. Type the person's own topics onto the blank cards: the farm, the navy years, the bowling league.

Sizes and format

  • 4 PDF files: US Letter (8.5 x 11 in) and A4, each one-sided (21 pages) and two-sided (38 pages)
  • Cards are 3.6 x 2.9 in (92 x 74 mm), 6 to a page, the same size on both papers
  • Questions are set in 20 to 24 point type, follow-ups in 18 point
  • The fill-in fields need the free Adobe Acrobat Reader
  • Instant download. No physical item is shipped.

The files

  • US LetterPDF, 21 pages, 827 KB
  • A4PDF, 21 pages, 827 KB
  • US Letter, two-sidedPDF, 38 pages, 853 KB
  • A4, two-sidedPDF, 38 pages, 854 KB

Your license

For personal use in one household: print as many copies as you need, and please don't share or resell the file. The license covers one household. For a care home, day program or group, send us a message about a facility license.

Illustrations drafted with AI image tools and curated by us for meaning and clarity. Layout, wording and card sets designed by us.

A closer look

  • One card from each of the six themes: Childhood, Home and family, Work, Holidays and seasons, Music and movies, Food and travel.
  • Close-up of one card: a Childhood tab, the question Tell me about the street you grew up on in large print, and the follow-up Who lived next door?
  • Two pages of picture cards, each with a picture, a topic such as Family, Music or Gardens, and one question.
  • The blank card page with example topics typed in, and one picture card shown in five skin tones.
  • A card page and the page of card backs that prints behind it in the two-sided file.
  • Four steps: download, print and cut, pick a few cards, talk together. A digital file; no physical item is shipped.

Free printables and guides

More from this collection

Doctor Carissa is the shop of Carissa Spisak, who holds a doctorate in speech-language pathology.

An educational support tool. Not a substitute for evaluation or treatment by a licensed speech-language pathologist or physician. Read the full disclaimer.

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Buy on Etsy, $4.99