Cognitive Health Benefits of Reading for Dementia Patients
Reading Time: 3 minutes
Many people with dementia can still read, especially in the early stages of the disease, but often stop reading due to several obstacles that can make reading difficult for them to enjoy and comprehend. A memory care aide can help them experience this activity again.
Four Reading Obstacles Your Loved One with Dementia May Experience
Most people with stage one dementia can still read words and understand many of them, but sitting down and reading a book or the newspaper becomes more difficult, so they simply stop reading. The obstacles they encounter are related to both their ability to cognitively decipher what they’re reading and to physically see what they are reading.
The words are too hard to read. Many books, newspapers, and magazines have small print that doesn’t have enough contrast for your loved one. Not being able to discern visual contrast between letters and words makes it difficult for them to read a sentence, not to mention endless paragraphs.
Memory loss is another reason reading falls by the wayside. As the disease affects the part of the brain that manages short-term memory, your loved one may pick up her book tomorrow and not remember anything about what she read the day before. This makes following a plotline or connecting with characters in a book almost impossible for her.
They’re easily distracted. Dementia may make it difficult for your loved one to stay focused on her book as she reads. She might turn off her brain in the middle of reading and forget where she stopped reading. Outside distractions such as an annoying sound or movement may easily pull her away from the story.
Stories are too complicated. A 500-page novel may not be best for your loved one anymore. Instead, focus on short stories, or have her read a magazine or newspaper with articles that tell the story in an abridged version.
Why Reading is Beneficial for Your Elderly Loved One
The brain is fast at work when reading, so any type of reading your loved one can enjoy keeps her brain functioning and retaining its abilities. From memory to imagination, stories take your loved one and her brain to places that other forms of entertainment cannot. The key is to help your loved one find new ways to enjoy a favorite book or pick up that newspaper again.
Memory Care Five Forks SC – Cognitive Health Benefits of Reading for Dementia Patients
Memory Care Providers Can Help Your Loved One Enjoy Reading Again
If your loved one is still struggling to read on her own, one option that might help her enjoy her favorite stories again or learn about her favorite topics is having someone read to her. While audiobooks can be great for many people, they don’t often work for dementia patients. That’s where having someone read to them can bridge that gap between hearing the story and interacting with it.
When a memory care provider reads to your loved one, they can repeat areas your loved one asked to hear again, or they can stop in mid-sentence to answer a question your loved one may have. By having a human companion read to your loved one, your loved one also gets to experience companionship and human connection. With memory care providers, your loved one doesn’t have to give up her favorite stories, she can enjoy them in an entirely new fashion.
