Reading is an enriching activity that offers benefits at all stages of life. From early development to cognitive decline, there are benefits to be found in getting fully absorbed in a really good book.
Those with limited mobility might struggle to continue activities they once loved, but reading offers the opportunity to step into the shoes of someone else and live an entirely different life.
With this in mind, we’re looking at some of the benefits of reading for the elderly and how you can cultivate the ideal environment to help make this happen.
What are the benefits of reading for the elderly?
The elderly are often facing many challenges. They might experience a decline in their mobility, which means that activities they once found to be enriching might be off limits. Their friends and social circles might become smaller due to illness and decline. Eyesight can also be affected. And finally, there is the chance that cognitive decline could make it difficult to concentrate for long periods.
Thankfully, there are ways that reading can help all of these things and more. These are just some of the benefits of reading for the elderly:
Improve cognition
Reading helps to establish new connections in the brain that can help to improve cognition in the elderly. It requires the individual to use their imagination to create new neural pathways in the brain. This can help to keep individuals sharper for longer.
Improve memory
Reading requires the individual to retain information about characters, places and events. This can help to improve memory by simply encouraging them to use these skills. If there isn’t much going on in their real life, they will also have something to recall and share when they see friends and family, which can help with their ability to recall information.
Better sleep
Reading before bed helps to calm the brain after a day of stimulation. It is far better than screens at encouraging individuals to rest and relax. The blue light from screens can disturb an individual’s circadian rhythms which can make it difficult to stick to a regular sleep pattern.
Reduces stress
Research suggests that reading helps to reduce stress and slows the heart rate. Stress can aggravate those with conditions like dementia, so finding ways to relax and stay calm can be hugely beneficial. Reading before bedtime is also a great way to wind down and switch off.
Delay dementia
It’s vital to continue challenging the brain in older age, as this is one of the best ways to stave off the risk of dementia. Reading throughout your life can help to reduce the risk of dementia by ensuring the brain is sufficient at creating new neural pathways. Using your imagination through reading is one of the best ways to achieve this.
Improved wellbeing
Reading can be an incredibly fulfilling activity that will help to enrich a person’s life. Those with limited mobility can find a great deal of enjoyment from reading a book as it will allow them to escape their world and experience new things. Re-reading books from your youth can help to connect with old memories. And reading new material will introduce new ideas and concepts that can be incredibly rewarding.
How to encourage reading
Now that we understand how enriching reading can be for the elderly, let’s look at some of the ways you could facilitate making this a daily part of their life.
- Plan trips to the local library – your local library is a great place to start as you can borrow books for free and there will be a wide range of materials available. You can also look for social groups for the elderly that might gather in the library that could help to turn it into a very enriching outing.
- Get the right lighting – low light can make it more difficult and stressful to read, and the individual might not know how to communicate this, they will just become frustrated. Invest in a quality reading light that can be adjusted as required.
- Create a comfortable spot for reading – a cosy reading nook that is away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life can help to encourage more time spent reading. In the summer, you might consider creating a space outdoors to enjoy reading in the sunlight.
- Supplement with audiobooks – if the individual struggles with print, you could consider using audiobooks to help them to access stories without straining their eyes. An e-reader could also be beneficial, as this will allow you to access titles from your local library and then adjust the print size to be more accessible.
- Create a family book club – reading the same book together can help to bridge generational gaps and spark conversations. Choose a book that everyone will enjoy and then make time to discuss the book as a family.
