Reading to Soothe the Soul

By Elaine L. Orr

I was fortunate to be introduced to books very young and to have been around adults who enjoyed books. Reading is the best stepping stone to a writing career, and there was a library in walking distance. I doubt it was 600 square feet, but it was heaven.

When a friend recently entered an Alzheimer's care facility I noted the activity calendar showed people read books to residents so I asked to join the reading team. It's a fascinating opportunity. People from a wide variety of careers (physicians, teachers, book publishers, homemakers) have very little comprehension of what's going on around them, but they like to be read to.

I choose books for very young children, and started with Billy Goats Gruff. My only criteria is that the books have to tell a story rather than just amuse. Attention spans are very short. 

Every now and then something in a book will click a memory in a resident. Last week, a story mentioned (only in passing) collecting syrup from maple trees. Suddenly a man I'd never heard speak raised his head and described the process to tap a tree, hang a bucket to collect sap, and use the sap for syrup. Then he ducked his head and grew quiet again.

I pick relatively short books with good illustrations and walk around the room to show the pictures. The natural ham in me tries to act out character voices.

The library in Chatham, Illinois has a large selection of used books and children's books are usually fifty cents or a dollar. I decided to buy the books in case a resident wants to keep one. Occasionally they do.

Sometimes I'll take a second book that's a jumping off point for conversation. One about truck stops let us talk about taking vacations when cars traveled on two lane roads rather than interstates. Mostly I mention things they might have seen and get some appreciative nods. The key thing is never to ask the residents if they remember something. Some folks can perceive that they used to know more than they now do, and it would be frustrating to ask what they can recall.

Today it's almost 100 degrees in central Illinois, so I took a story about a snow monster -- a little girl who likes to eat snow and mistakenly made a wish about eating all of it! We can then talk about blizzards and making snowmen as children.

It may sound as if I'm doing something noble. I'm not. As with most forms of volunteering, I get a lot more out of reading than the residents do by listening.

If you're interested in doing something similar, check with a memory care facility. The one I go to likes to have readers in the hours before lunch and dinner, because the residents are waiting to eat and it makes the time go faster. You'll get more than you give.

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