My mom is 94 years old, living in a memory care community. She used to be an avid reader but hasn't read a book in over a year. Does anyone know of any books that would be appropriate for someone with moderate memory loss to read. I was thinking of a book of short stories but would like to find something she could enjoy without causing her anxiety.
I think some of the Chicken Soup for the Soul books might be appropriate, but they can be sad and emotional even though there are heartwarming stories in them. You'd have to review them carefully; the sad stories generally reflect people surviving and moving beyond difficult circumstances, so it depends on how someone interprets them.
Perhaps a better source is magazines. Reiman Publications publishes Reminesce and Reminesce Extra, about living during the Depression and WWII.
Many older people connect immediately with these stories, although someone who's depressed might find them bringing back unwanted memories. My experience though is that those who survived the Depression are proud of it, and reading these stores triggers that pride response.
Country and Country Extra are the best though as they're more upbeat and contain beautiful, mesmerizing photos as well as humorous tales about life in the country and on the farm. The photos alone are worth the nominal cost of the magazine.
Reiman does publish some of their collections in larger books, selling for about $30, but I believe they're generally offered to subscribers. You might find some of interest on the Reiman Publications website. Or Google "Country magazine", then search for "books".
Readers Digest used to publish a large print edition with a variety of stories.
I realize that your Mom might not remember the 1st chapter she read, but reading it a half dozen times is ok, too. Hard back books are easy to deal with for someone her age, and get the ones that have a lot of photos :)
I thought Reiman publications was a nice idea but I'm not sure if the articles might be too difficult for her to follow.
Thank you, freqflyer, for the biography suggestion. Yes, lots of pictures would be good for her. Maybe I can find a picture book on Hollywood stars from her era that she would enjoy.
Thank you so much for all your suggestions!
The Reminisce articles might be a little challenging, but I think Country and Country Extra would be a lot easier to follow. There are a few sample stores on country magazine. You could print out a few for Mom, as well as perhaps some of the photos, and see if she enjoys the stories.
Some years ago my father told me about an article he read in Country or Country Extra written by a family that lived in Alaska. It was really quite interesting; made me decide never to live in the remote areas of Alaska!