Creating Rich Sensory and Social Experiences for Those Experiencing Dementia
Part 5: Library Books or Books You Purchase
Books can be a delightful way to foster shared sensory and social experiences with your loved one experiencing dementia. Two ideas include shopping with your loved one at a bookstore or visiting your local library to browse books with topics you know they will enjoy!
The point is not so much about reading books, though sometimes reading books to our loved ones can be a rich experience, but there might also be books with pictures about topics they enjoy.
Suppose they grew up in an era that remembers WWII. In that case, books about military aircraft or even pictures and captions of the various campaigns throughout the war might enrich their experiences. If you are worried that images of the war might cause them discomfort, please reach out, and we can clarify why books about the war might be just right.
Other ideas include:
- Books about cowboys with good pictures are great if your loved one enjoys all things cowboy.
- Books with vibrant, colorful images of flowers, birds, landscapes, or countries they have traveled to.
- Books with pictures and captions about space if they love space and space programs.
- If music is their thing, Libraries and bookstores are also great places to check out or purchase music.
We’ll dive deeper into music in our next blog post!
