A book, a voice, a place to sit, a bit of time—to astonishing fuel for the heart, the mind, and the imagination.
Some elderly people find reading to themselves difficult or impossible — they may be fatigued from their daily activities, their cognitive or visual abilities may not be as sharp as they once were, or your listener simply may not be strong enough to hold up a heavy book for more than a few minutes at a time.
In 2005, Japanese researchers studied the effect of reading to oneself, reading aloud and solving arithmetic problems among 16 Alzheimer patients and 16 healthy persons in a control group. They reported the results of the study in The Journals of Gerontology.
What they found was that after only six months, those with Alzheimer’s showed a statistically significant functional improvement in their frontal cortex when compared with the control group.
The Alzheimer patients, either at the end of the study or later, showed:
Improved verbal communication with the nursing staff
Significantly higher scores for conceptualization
Significantly higher MMSE (Mini Mental Status Examination) performance than the control group at follow-up
Significantly higher score for independence at follow-up.
Inform
Entertain
Alleviate Anxiety
Alleviate Boredom
Alleviate a sense of being isolated
Provide a connection with one of our Companions
Provide a topic of conversation
Enhance visits in which neither person knows how to proceed
Enhance self-worth, when the elderly person realizes someone cares
Enough to read to them
Discover the joy and comfort that CDN ElderCare brings to the lives of seniors. Contact us today to schedule a consultation and learn more about how our Eldercare Massage and Companionship services can make a positive difference in your loved one’s life. Together, we can create a journey of serenity, well-being, and companionship for your respected seniors.