11. Rethinking what Reading Can Be

Resources

Before diving into this article, Rethinking What Reading Can Be, 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.

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Rethinking What Reading Can Be

Whether we’re bookworms, or very casual readers, reading plays a role in our lives. It informs us, comforts us, stimulate us, entertains us, and even connects us to others.

For someone living with dementia, their reading capacity will gradually change—but it does not need to end.

In this Reading while Living with Dementia series, we explore how reading can continue to be meaningful, accessible, and affirming, even as memory, attention, and processing shift over time.

One of the most important ideas is this: Reading will look different than it once did, and that difference deserves respect and attention.

Expanding the Definition of Reading

For people living with dementia, it can be helpful to gently expand the definition of what “counts” as reading.

One may no longer enjoy—or manage—long novels or dense nonfiction. But that does not mean they have lost their curiosity or love of language or need for new ideas. Their brain is asking for a different kind of input.

Think beyond traditional books. Think beyond what they used to read.

Reading can be brief. It can be visual. It can be repeated. It can happen in small, satisfying moments throughout the day.

Reading in Snippets Throughout the Day

For many people living with dementia, short reading experiences can be very satisfying.

A paragraph in the morning.

A short article after lunch.

A poem or song lyrics in the evening.

Length matters, but we don’t have to compromise quality of content.

Short texts reduce fatigue and frustration while increasing the likelihood of comprehension and enjoyment. Finishing something can bring a sense of accomplishment and confidence.

Types of Reading Materials to Explore

There is no single “right” type of reading. Different formats work for different people—and what works may change over time.

Fiction

Shorter fictional formats often involve fewer characters and more linear storylines.

These may include:

• Novellas

• Short stories

• *Flash Fiction

*You can learn about Flash Fiction at your public library or by searching the term online.

Visual storytelling offers cues that support understanding while still engaging imagination and emotion, as you will find in:

• Graphic Novels

• Comic books

• Catalogues

• Over-sized books (a category of books in most libraries)

• Photographic books

Nonfiction

Nonfiction reading does not need to be complex to be meaningful.

Many people enjoy:

• Essays

• Short articles

• Memoirs 

• Biographies

• Diaries, journals

• Letters

• Hobby or interest books

These formats allow readers to dip in and out without needing to remember extended narratives.

Non-Prose Reading

Reading does not have to be prose at all. Non-prose texts as listed below often add rich characteristics such as rhythm, repetition, and emotional resonance.

• Poetry

• Prayers

• Religious text

• Song lyrics

• Skits and plays

Plays can be very rewarding to read. Generally, they are short in length, have spacious layouts, visual organizational cues, and few characters. 

Living well with dementia 

The act of reading may change with time, but the experience of connecting and expanding minds through text/images remains. It is human, it is real, and it is well worth honoring.

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Mainstreamed Literature Suggestions for Readers 

Living with Cognitive Change

Today, my specific mainstream literature recommendations are the books by Josie Iselin, published by Abrams, the Art of Books since 1949. These captivating books reveal unexpected beauty of natural specimens revealing exquisite color and extraordinary forms. Her engaging text “blend personal observation, philosophical musings, and scientific fact.” 

Here are the covers of four of her books.

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Reading looks different for everyone. And every reading experience matters.

If you’re living with dementia, supporting someone who is, or working in this space, we invite you to share below what reading has looked like for you.