Resources

Before diving into the second article on the benefits of reading for people living with dementia, here are a few fabulous resources worthy of attention:

Libraries Transforming Communities!

The American Library Association and Association of Rural and Small Libraries are offering grants to libraries looking to expand patron outreach and build stronger community partnerships.

Nursing Homes Enriching Lives!

At no cost to your Nursing Home, Reading2Connect will complete your CMP Grant application so that you may receive the Reading2Connect LTC Program for free. Learn more.

People Affected by Dementia Taking Action!

There are three wonderful action groups for, and governed by, people living with dementia. 

• Dementia Action Alliance: forming friendships, exchanging ideas, and working to create positive community for people living with dementia.

• National Council of Dementia Minds: fostering education and dialogue among people living with dementia, care partners, healthcare providers, researchers, and policy makers.

• Young Dementia Network: an online community for everyone living with, working with, or interested in young onset dementia. 

Reading2Connect 

Reading2Connect is dedicated to helping older adults receive the invaluable emotional, social, and cognitive benefits of recreational reading throughout their lives. Take a look at some of our videos or join one of our live Info Sessions to learn more.

How Reading Helps People Living with Dementia

As we mentioned in our last article, reading may be defined as “text influencing thought.” For people living with dementia, the reading experience becomes much more accessible with the addition of abundant illustrations throughout the written piece. 

Pictures reinforce the meaning of the prose. Pictures also give us a place to rest from the work of language processing. While text stimulates ideas and thoughts, images stimulate feelings and emotions.

Hence, when discussing “dementia-capable” reading, I take the liberty to broaden the definition of reading to: “text and images influencing thoughts and feelings.” This more holistic reading experience brings forth many of the profound benefits of reading for this population. 

Benefits of Reading for People Living with Dementia

1) Supporting Self-Expression

A common aspect of aging, or cognitive change, is word-finding difficulties. Over time, pulling up the word one needs to express a thought can become very difficult and frustrating.

An age/dementia friendly book usually involves:

1. one topic

2. minimal text

3. bold, large font

4. many illustrations directly related to the topic

Hence, as readers make their way through the book, they are repeatedly reading the key words on that topic. The bold, salient text supports the reader’s ability to recall and to use the right vocabulary when sharing personal stories, thoughts, or reactions related to the book.

Care partners and employees often note that their family member or resident becomes far more talkative when engaged with an accessible book.

Being able to express oneself is essential to personal well-being.

2) Depth of Thought and Fullness of Expression 

As we said in our last article, cognitive changes often shorten one’s attention span. An accessible book, with its blend of words and images, gently extends one’s focus—at least within the structured space of reading.

Why does this matter? Because with focus comes the ability to think more deeply and to express oneself more fully.

A well-designed, dementia-friendly book provides consistent cues—words and images tied to one central theme. This repetition anchors the reader, so they don’t need to constantly work to recall the topic or context. Instead, their energy can be spent reflecting and personally connecting to the text.

Another gift of books is control. Readers set the pace. They can reread a line, revisit a page, or pause to study the cover again. Unlike spoken words, which vanish as soon as they’re said, text is patient. It's there as long as we need it. Written language removes the pressure that we have when listening to spoken language--the pressure to hold onto and organize the input of ongoing speech at record speed.

Dementia-friendly literature adaptations make comprehension and retention of the text easier, thereby freeing up cognitive resources for higher-order thinking. Readers living with dementia are then better able to reflect, connect personally with the text, and form insights, arguments, and questions related to the material. The supportive scaffolding of the text allows for more expansive thought and critical thinking.

If the reader begins to lose their footing, the book’s salient print helps them gain their bearings again and continue to engage meaningfully and thoughtfully.

Depth of thought and genuine expression reveal each person’s uniqueness. As oral communication becomes less manageable with age or with dementia, reading becomes more than a pastime. Reading becomes a vital mode to living a purposeful, connected life.

Mainstreamed Literature Suggestions for Readers 

Living with Cognitive Change

Remembering Grandma Moses

By Beth Moses Hickock

Published in 1994, by Images from the Past

This relatively short book was written by one of Grandma Moses’s daughters-in-law. Set in 1934, the book is an affectionate portrayal of Anna Mary Robinson Moses before she gained national renown as Grandma Moses, an American folk artist. The story’s straightforward, clear prose is enhanced by many family and historical photographs. Font is on the larger size and the paper is very white, resulting in good visual contrast.

Note: The publisher--Images from the Past--focuses on “books that bring to life the stories of people, places, and events both within their historical context and from the perspective of today.” You may want to check out their other titles.

(Note: One’s connection to a book is personal and individualistic; no book is for everyone.)

We'd love to hear from you!

Click below to comment, ask questions, or share your own reading experiences – the good and the bad.