One of my mother's favorite activities has always been reading, but she has not been doing much of that lately -- in part because her eyesight requires her to only read large-print books, but also I think she finds most modern-day novels to be too confusing. Especially if they jump back and forth in time or jump to different characters' points of view. Has anyone found any books (available in large print) that might be less confusing and more enjoyable for an 84-year-old in early stages of dementia?
https://www.loc.gov/nls/services-and-resources/catalog-and-bard/
📚 Recommended Books and Resources
Here are specific books and sources designed for seniors with dementia, focusing on simplicity, large visuals, and age-appropriate subjects.
Specialized Picture Books
· Sunny Street Books: Publishes books specifically for seniors with dementia. Their books feature minimal or no text, beautiful photos, and are designed to be non-childish and respectful.
· "Blue Sky White Clouds" by Eliezer Sobel: A photo book with large captions, created by an author for his mother with Alzheimer's.
· Assistex 12-Pack Picture Book Set: A set of 12 softcover books with high-resolution photos of familiar subjects like flowers and animals. They have minimal text in a large font.
· "The Sunshine on My Face" by Lydia Burdick: A "read-aloud" book designed to spark conversation and interaction with memory-challenged adults.
Large-Print, Simple-Plot Books
· Keeping Busy's Large Print Books: These books are designed for those with dementia or vision loss. They feature very large print, relatable stories, and have text on only one side of the page to prevent confusion.
Meaningful Storybooks
· "Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge" by Mem Fox: A classic children's story about a boy helping an older friend rediscover memories. Its simple, heartfelt plot makes it a great read-aloud choice.
· "The Remember Balloons" by Jessie Oliveros: Uses balloons as a metaphor for memories. It can help explain changes in a gentle way and focuses on the love that remains.
🔍 Where to Find These Books
You can find many of these titles on major online retailers like Amazon. For the specialized publishers like Sunny Street Books and Keeping Busy, visiting their official websites directly is best. Your local library is also a great resource—a librarian can often help you find similar large-print or high-picture books.
I hope these suggestions bring many more pleasant reading moments for you and your mother.
TV will be her new friend. For the first two years my husband was at home after a massive stroke, I had a large computer screen on which I streamed Netflix movies for him. Mostly, they were animated, easy stories, and movies made for children. And, just like many children, he liked to play the same movie over and over. As soon as a movie ended, I had to re-start it. Balto was one of his first favorites. I recommend it for any adult with cognitive impairment. It's an animated drama with dogs as the main characters, and based on a true story.
His cognitive function has somewhat improved over the years, and he has graduated to watching TV, sometimes sports, game shows, crime solving shows. His interest changes. But, he still likes to watch the same things over and over again. I think the repetition must be soothing for him, and knowing what's coming next is easier for him to process than a lot of new and unexpected action and dialogue. I still stream movies on several platforms, and I started recording shows on cable, such as football games, which he will watch repeatedly.
The all creatures great and small books by James Herriot. About a country vet in England 5 books sweet and easy.
Number 1 Ladies detective agency dont have author at my fingertips. many in series.wonderful characters but African names you need to sound out.
Stumbled on Touching the Clouds by Bonnie Leon at goodwill. 3 in series female Alaskan bush pilot adventures bot of romance.
Pecular combination by Ashley Weaver 5 in series. Family of outside the law safecrackers recruited to help save England from the Nazis.
Good luck
Maybe Mom could read a simple adolecent book. My Mom would read our Nancy Drew books when we were kids. Anything she could get her hands on.
Best of luck.
When I was a hospice volunteer and had folks in memory care that I would visit, I would take large picture books to look at with them and talk about what was on the pictures.
You may also try reading to her yourself(or have someone else if you're not able to)or try her on some audio books, though the spoken word also gets confusing for those with dementia to understand.
These are just the sad facts of a very horrific disease.
Harlequin romances.
Classic books that are considered children's books, like Little Women and Anne of Green Gables.
I’d suggest looking for short stories rather than full length novels. I don’t like getting immersed in long plots about people with complicated lives, and I much prefer short stories myself.