Reading Together
with a family member, a care partner, or in a reading
group offers both cognitive and social benefits to older
adults with dementia.
Our goal is to create reading materials that allow
individuals with dementia to fully participate in a
shared reading experience.
Stories for older adults illustration

Reading, as a learned skill, is generally preserved in dementia as part of procedural memory. Like riding a bike, once the skill of reading is learned, it becomes automatic. While many people with dementia retain their ability to read, challenges remain, including a loss of focus, making it difficult to keep the thread of a story.

Stories for Older Adults™ are short, illustrated stories, formatted by a dementia care expert, and written to address the needs of readers with dementia, including those in the later stages. Learn more...

For those who are more comfortable with single-word activities, we offer themed and illustrated three-part reading cards that sharpen language skills and invite conversation. Learn more...

Reading is a bridge to greater independence for older
adults with dementia. When one continues to read, skills
are sharpened, confidence builds and participation in
daily life increases.

Articles . . .


Keep Reading – Aloud!
It is known that continuing to read as we age can help to prevent cognitive decline; but a growing body of evidence suggests that the way that we read can ...
Sharing Story and Song
The Quite Extraordinary Piano Man is the first in a new series of Stories for Older Adults™ that includes large-type song lyrics so that participants can complete the story with ...
Time Together Coloring
We all have childhood memories of lifting the lid on a new box of crayons, eyeing all those beautiful colors with nice, sharpened tips, and diving into a coloring book ...
Sky Blue Pink . . .
Using well-known sayings for reminiscing and a bit of fun– Sky blue pink with a heavenly border ~ that was my Mom’s answer one day when I asked her to ...
Reading and Dementia – Fostering a “can do” spirit
As dementia advances and words on a page become difficult, some may conclude that reading is no longer possible. The challenges of reading for someone with dementia are real and ...
Intergenerational Reading Partners
Bookend generations come together through story– We generally think of reading aloud as something that is shared between an adult and a child; but imagine that the adult is an ...
Three-Part Cards for Older Adults
A beneficial tool for memory care– Older adults with dementia who have enjoyed reading all their lives can continue to read in different ways.  While some may read every word ...
The Tide
Author Clare Helen Welsh and illustrator Ashling Lindsay deliver on a beautiful story that conveys, with sensitivity, a child’s perspective on the memory loss of her beloved grandfather. Recommended: Ages ...
A Meaningful Read-Aloud Experience for Older Adults with Dementia
It was in 2016 that I was first introduced to the work of award-winning dementia educator, Jennifer Brush, and her use of the Montessori approach with people living with dementia ...