From a young age, one is encouraged to actively read books to improve and develop certain cognitive skills and mental abilities. The same advice can be given to dementia patients. Whether one has been diagnosed with dementia or other memory-related conditions, or just wants to avoid these conditions altogether, reading is a simple, yet beneficial activity that helps with the same.
Dementia and intellectual activities
There has been scientific proof that engaging your mind to do daily intellectual activities decreases the chances of being diagnosed with dementia as opposed to an individual who does not perform basic intellectual tasks.
The list of these tasks includes reading, playing board games, and even something like maintaining a journal.
Basically, any activity that engages your mind to the extent it has to expand from the usual helps in fighting off something as severe as dementia.
Why reading is essential for a dementia patient
While reading has several advantages, it heavily appeals to someone who has been diagnosed with the condition or even someone who just wants to avoid it despite doing something extraordinarily different.
- Reading has been observed to increase the intelligence of the reader. A new book read means that more new knowledge has been obtained from that particular book. Besides intelligence, reading also improves one’s vocabulary, which is even more important for dementia patients as they tend to forget words and phrases during the latter stages of the condition.
- Reading drastically improves your brainpower. It directly deals with the memory function of the brain and provides good and healthy exercise to parts of the brain that are most affected during dementia. The habit of reading forces the brain to adapt to the ill effects of dementia.
- Dementia patients tend to lose their sense of basic emotions such as empathy. Books are proven treasures of a resource that force your brain to show and feel compassion for others. Practicing the act of reading and perfecting the ability to be empathetic is vital for a patient with an earlier stage of dementia.
While most of these reasons aim at developing memory and the brain, books, and reading help in sleeping. Reading a book of your choice before bed would drastically improve your chances of getting healthy sleep, which is another aspect that a dementia patient struggles with.
Recommended Books
Books recommended by experts include a collection of series that have images, that engage the patient’s brain in the form of images, and text which improves vocabulary and quality of life.
The following are books that are recommended for seniors with dementia:
- What the Wind Showed To Me by Emma Rose Sparrow
- The Sunshine On My Face: A Read-Aloud Book For Memory Challenged Adults By Lydia Burdick And Jane Freeman
- Simple Pleasures For Special Seniors By Dan Koffman
- Blue Sky, White Clouds: A Book For Memory-Challenged Adults By Eliezer Sobel
- Wishing On A Star By Lydia Burdick And Jane Freeman
While these books are targeted towards dementia patients, any form of reading is beneficial, while most professionals recommend picture books to keep the readers engaged.
Conclusion
Reading is a fun and addictive activity that does more benefit to a dementia patient than some medicines can. Even for an individual who just wants to take precaution before dementia, it is a great habit to work on as it involves most of the imaginative sensors of your mind and help you function better as an individual.