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1.  [Home](/)
2.  [Memory aids for dementia](/memory-aids-for-dementia)
3.  Whiteboard or spoken reminders? 

Comparison

# Whiteboard or spoken reminders?

Almost every family tries the whiteboard first, and for a while it is often all that is needed.

Short answer

A whiteboard works while someone still looks at it and can read it. It fails silently when sight, initiation or memory change, because nothing prompts them to look. Spoken reminders arrive on their own and do not depend on being noticed.

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## The case for the whiteboard

-   Costs a few pounds and needs no setup. 
-   Answers repeated questions without anyone having to answer them again. 
-   Visible to visitors and carers, so everyone sees the same plan. 
-   Feels like a household object, not a medical device. 

## Why it stops working

A whiteboard is passive. It waits to be read, and the ability to think "I should check the board" is often one of the first things to go.

Sight loss, poor lighting, a board in the wrong room, or simply too much written on it will all quietly end its usefulness while it stays on the wall looking helpful.

## What spoken reminders do differently

They arrive. Nobody has to remember to check anything, and a voice at half past twelve carries the meaning of lunch in a way that a line of writing from Tuesday does not.

They also reach someone who is not in the kitchen — in the garden, in a chair, upstairs.

## The practical answer

Keep the board for today's one big fact — who is coming and when — and use spoken prompts for the things that repeat every day. The two do not compete.

## Being straight with you

You Care Reminders is a non-medical wellness tool, not a monitoring service and not an alarm. Delivery is best effort rather than guaranteed, and it must not be used for medication reminders. If you are worried about someone's health, speak to their GP; in an emergency, call 999.

## Questions carers ask

### How much should go on a whiteboard?

### Where should it go?

### Does a dementia clock do the same job?

## Read next

-   [Memory aids for dementia](/memory-aids-for-dementia)
-   [Sticky notes vs spoken reminders](/sticky-notes-vs-spoken-reminders)
-   [Dementia clocks vs spoken reminders](/dementia-clocks-vs-spoken-reminders)
-   [Parent repeats the same question](/parent-repeats-the-same-question)

## Set the first reminder tonight

It takes about five minutes, costs nothing to start, and the person you care for has nothing to install.

[Begin caring today for free](/signup)[See plans](/pricing)

You Care Reminders 

Thoughtful reminders that help families stay quietly connected to the people they love.

Wellness support, not medical advice.

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-   [Daily prompts for MCI](/mild-cognitive-impairment-daily-prompts)
-   [Drink & meal reminders](/dehydration-reminders-elderly)
-   [Compared to dementia clocks](/vs-dementia-clocks)
-   [Why smart alarms fail](/why-smart-alarms-fail-older-adults)

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-   [Dementia clocks](/dementia-clocks)
-   [Signs of dehydration](/signs-of-dehydration-in-older-adults)
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