Facilitators at the Memory Care Facility

Product Information

Specifications:

• Product Name: Dementia-Friendly Book Groups Manual

• Designed for: Facilitating Book Groups in Memory Care
  Facilities

• Duration: Book group meetings are informal and last about one
  hour

• Group Size: 4 to 6 readers in each group

Product Usage Instructions

1. Importance of Dementia-Friendly Book Groups:

The aim of the book groups is to promote enjoyment of literary
classics, stimulate memories, enhance personal identity, improve
cognitive performance, boost empathy, and reduce stigma for people
living with dementia.

2. Book Group Readers:

The book group readers are individuals living with dementia who
benefit from the social interaction and cognitive stimulation
provided by participating in the book group meetings.

3. Making the Book Group Experience Special:

Facilitators play a crucial role in creating an inclusive and
comfortable environment for the readers. Offer refreshments, ensure
a quiet and relaxing setting, and guide discussions to relate the
text to personal experiences. Avoid asking difficult knowledge
questions and encourage free-flowing discussions.

4. Book Group Discussion Ideas for “A Christmas Carol”:

Lead in with questions about the story and Christmas to engage
readers. Encourage sharing thoughts and memories related to the
holiday season. Emphasize that each page of the book is interesting
on its own to accommodate readers who may forget previous
content.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):

1. How long do book group meetings typically last?

Book group meetings are informal and usually last about one
hour.

2. What is the recommended group size for the book groups?

It is recommended to have 4 to 6 readers in each book group for
effective engagement and discussion.

DEMENTIA-FRIENDLY BOOK GROUPS
The Manual for Facilitating Book Groups in Memory Care
Facilities

TABLE OF CONTENTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS …………………………………………………………………………..2 1. WHY IS DEMENTIA-FRIENDLY IMPORTANT?………………………………………..3 2. WHO ARE THE BOOK GROUP READERS? …………………………………………….4 3. HOW CAN BOOK GROUP FACILIATORS MAKE THE BOOK GROUP EXPERIENCE SPECIAL?………………………………………………………………………….5 4. BOOK GROUP DISCUSSION IDEAS: What you will do as Facilitators ………..6 A CHRISTMAS CAROL …………………………………………………………………………..6 SHERLOCK HOLMES……………………………………………………………………………..8 POETRY FOR A RESTLESS HEART…………………………………………………………..10 KATHERINE MANSFIELD SHORT STORIES: THE DOLL’S HOUSE ………………….11 KATHERINE MANSFIELD SHORT STORIES: THE GARDEN PARTY…………………13 LITTLE WOMEN …………………………………………………………………………………15 6. MESSAGE FROM DOVETALE PRESS EDITORS ……………………………………..17
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1. WHY IS DEMENTIA-FRIENDLY IMPORTANT?
Creating a `dementia-friendly community’ is the talk of the town. Communities are encouraged to provide inclusive living for the growing number of citizens who are living with dementia. Our book group philosophy starts with the hypothesis that dementia-friendly book groups help people living with Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia to be able to continue to enjoy reading and sharing books. We believe that participation in this activity can improve the quality of life of the reader and enhance his or her feeling of inclusion in community.
We hope that reading in book groups can promote: 1) Enjoyment of the music and rhythm of a literary classic. 2) Enjoyment of the beauty and inventiveness of the language. 3) Enhancement of personal identity by stimulating memories. 4) Stimulation of cognitive performance by evoking new ideas linked to the text. 5) Improvement in empathy with others through connections with their opinions and
feelings about the text. 6) Book groups may also reduce the stigma for people living with dementia.
Co-editors and directors of Dovetale Press (www.dovetalepress.com), Drs Rimkeit and Claridge, have adapted four classic stories for the programme: A Christmas Carol, Sherlock Holmes, Katherine Mansfield Short Stories, and Little Women. They have also chosen poetry for a fifth book, Poetry for a Restless Heart. In testing these Dovetale adaptations in various book groups in Care Homes and libraries, they appear to provide ample material for book group readers for the first 10 sessions or so of shared reading. Hopefully, by the end of the 10 sessions, the facilitator and readers are open enough with each other to make their own recommendations for reading material, going forward. Memory Care Facilities can take a strong lead in offering choices of short stories or excerpts out of longer novels or poems.
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2. WHO ARE THE BOOK GROUP READERS?
Dementia is the umbrella term for diseases that cause progressive loss of brain function. While the disease type (such as Alzheimer’s, Mixed, Vascular, Lewy Body, Frontotemporal) often dictates what symptoms are prominent, short- term memory loss, impaired language skills, and reduced planning abilities are commonly seen. Age is a major risk factor for dementia and physical frailty is sometimes present. For some people, when the dementia advances, behaviours can become challenging for fellow loved ones and community members. “Nothing about us, without us” is the underlying strategy for dementia advocacy. Kate Swaffer, an eloquent academic and writer with younger onset dementia, has been a strong advocate for reducing the stigma, or “spoiled identity”, and improving the quality of life for people living with dementia (doi.org/10.1177/1471301214548143). It is now understood that hearing the voice of the person with dementia is imperative in forging real change for reduction in stigma and improved services within our communities. A person living with dementia spoke of his experience at an Alzheimer’s Disease International (ADI) congress: “Having dementia is very tough but having a city who excludes dementia ­ that is really tough”. A recent Lancet article describes what dementia-friendly communities might look like: “In these communities, people with dementia and their carers are empowered, supported and are aware of their rights” (doi.org/10.1097/ YCO.0000000000000304).
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3. HOW CAN BOOK GROUP FACILIATORS MAKE THE BOOK GROUP EXPERIENCE SPECIAL?
Now we get to the interesting part! Your support, as facilitators, is very important to these book groups. It would help so much if you could make the experience of your book group as inclusive and comfortable as you possibly can. A cup of tea and a biscuit could go a long way towards making the book group a relaxing and enjoyable activity for the readers. A quiet corner of the library, or a separate room there, is most suitable.
We’ve provided some draft outlines of the sessions for each Dovetale Press title, so that you have an idea of what might go on in the book group meetings. We are aiming to encourage the readers to relate the text to their own lives and for readers to freely share memories and new ideas evoked by the text with other readers. It is important that the discussion flows fluently but that, where possible, it is brought back to the reading material when ideas veer too long into unrelated tangents.
The facilitator must avoid asking readers for facts about the story or other bits of true or false knowledge. This can intimidate the reader and force them to “shut down”. For people with memory impairment, being asked difficult knowledge questions can be like pouring salt into a wound and decrease self- esteem. The rehabilitative value of book groups depend on them being fun and free-flowing for the readers and not “instructive”.
As the book group gels with time, the facilitator may be less and less active, allowing group discussions and engagement to naturally flow. If a reader chooses to remain quiet for a session, that is okay. Group members are encouraged to take turns reading the book out loud. Again, if a particular reader chooses not to read, that is fine.
We have produced several short videos where Gill, our reading specialist, has facilitated several book groups. There is nothing perfect about how she runs the group ­ that is not our aim. But hopefully these examples will show you just how the book groups can be `strength-based’ for the readers, in order to hopefully 1) enhance the comfort and enjoyment of sharing reading with others; and 2) optimise the degree of cognitive stimulation it provides, mainly by evoking memories, new ideas and interpersonal engagement and empathy. Your understanding and empathy towards the readers will be an essential factor in making the book groups successful.
The book group meetings are informal and last about one hour, with 4 to 6 readers in each group.
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4. BOOK GROUP DISCUSSION IDEAS: What you will do as Facilitators
Here are some possible outlines for sessions with each book. We’ve assumed that most of the readers will not want to read the story straight through and will get more out of reading excerpts from various parts of the book, at least initially. However, as you find out more about your individual groups, you should be able to gauge whether the readers find it more motivating to read through the story or to choose excerpts. The book group discussions should be free-flowing and need not follow any of these outlines. They should be encouraged to go wherever the spirit of the discussion takes them’. A CHRISTMAS CAROL Lead in (about 10 minutes) Make sure everyone has a copy of the book, and show them the cover. Possible questions: Do you know this story? What does Christmas make you think of? Do you do anything special at Christmas? Remember that each page is designed to be interesting in itself, so if the readers have forgotten what happened on the previous page, or they just don’t want to turn over to the next page, there should be something to talk about on each page. Some of the readers might turn over a page and continue with the story. In that case, we will let it happen. Readings and discussion (about 40 minutes) Some people don’t like Christmas. Scrooge is one of these people. Turn to page 8 and show picture of Scrooge’s hands and the piles of money. Help readers find page 8 if necessary. Read fromOh! But he was a tight- fisted hand at the grindstone, that Scrooge!’ until the end of page 9. Or ask one of the readers to read.
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Do you know anyone who is `tight-fisted’? (point to the picture on page 8)
Do you know anyone like Scrooge? If not too many comments, try continuing with page 11. Turn to page 32 and read page 33, then show pictures on pages 34 and 36, and read page 37. Help readers find page if necessary.
What do you eat at Christmas? Do you think half a quart of ignited brandy (about a pint!) is a lot to
put on the pudding? Turn to pages 57-58 and also look at the facing pictures. Help readers find the page if necessary.
Is Scrooge different now? What kind of man is he now? Can you compare with how he used to
be? Thank you all very much for coming. I hope you’ve enjoyed it.
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SHERLOCK HOLMES
Lead in (about 10 minutes) Make sure everyone has a copy of the book, and show them the cover. Possible questions:
Do you like detective stories? Do you like mysteries?
Remember that each page is designed to be interesting in itself, so if the readers have forgotten what happened on the previous page, or they just don’t want to turn over to the next page, there should be something to talk about on each page.
Some of the readers might turn over a page and continue with the story. In that case, let it happen.
Readings and discussion (about 40 minutes) Look at the cover, and then the inside picture of Holmes. Ask:
Do you know anyone who smokes a pipe now?
Turn to the picture on page 7 with Holmes and Watson smoking. Say: This is Sherlock Holmes, with his friend Dr Watson. Dr Watson tells the story.
Read Chapter 1, The Hat, to the end of page 11. Or ask one of the group members to read. Depending on the readers’ responses, you might summarise this as follows:
Sherlock Holmes is trying to find the owner of a Christmas goose and a hat. Dr Watson asks how he can do this.
Read from `Only as much as we can deduce from his hat’ on page 14 to the end of page 16. We might ask:
Do you think you can tell how much a man’s wife loves him from how clean and tidy his clothes are?
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Read Chapter 2: The Blue Diamond pages 20 ­22. Ask: Have you ever seen a blue diamond? Do you like jewellery? Is it a good thing to steal? Is it strange that this blue diamond was swallowed by a goose?
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POETRY FOR A RESTLESS HEART Lead in (about 10 minutes) Make sure everyone has a copy of the book. Help the readers find the chapter with Poems of Laughter. Readings and discussion (about 40 minutes) Ask if anyone has a favourite that they would like to share. They may like to read it themselves, or they may ask us to do so. We might ask:
Did anyone else choose this one? Do you like it? What does it make you think about? How does it make you feel? Happy? Sad? Why is that? Does it make you laugh? Why is it funny? Do you feel calm when you venture out into nature? Talk about the lovely illustrations by E Mervyn Taylor. If time, look at
his biography and discuss how he went from being a jeweller to a wood engraver.
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KATHERINE MANSFIELD SHORT STORIES: THE DOLL’S HOUSE
This book contains two well-known Mansfield stories. The Doll’s House is probably easier to understand for people with dementia, so it might be best to start with that.
Lead in (about 10 minutes) Make sure everyone has a copy of the book, and show them the illustration on page 38. If you have a child’s doll’s house, or perhaps some doll’s house furniture you could show, it might be a good talking point.
Readings and discussion (about 40 minutes) Possible questions:
Do you know the story? Have you ever had a Doll’s House? Have you ever made a Doll’s House? Do children like doll’s houses? Do you think girls like them more than boys? What about you? Would anyone like to read from the story?
Read pages 41-42 (us or a reader): Possible questions: Kezia liked the lamp best, didn’t she? Why? Would you have liked the lamp? Do you think Isabel and Lottie and Kezia are going to invite all their friends to see the doll’s house? Would you invite your friends if you had a doll’s house?
Read pages 46 -48: Possible questions: Nobody wants to be friends with the little Kelveys, Lil and Else, because their mother is a washer-woman and their father might be in jail. Do you think Isabel should invite them to see the doll’s house? Why? Would you be friends with them? Why?
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Read from page 55, from paragraph 2, Kezia made up her mind’, to page 59, paragraph 5,Lil and Our Else did not need telling twice’.
Do you think the little Kelveys were happy to see the doll’s house? Do you think Else liked the little lamp?
Do you think Aunt Beryl was unkind? Why do you think she chased the little Kelveys away?
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KATHERINE MANSFIELD SHORT STORIES: THE GARDEN PARTY
Lead in (about 10 minutes) Make sure everyone has a copy of the book, and show them the illustration on the cover, the vase of flowers on the facing page, and the picture opposite page 8.
Do any of you like gardens? Gardening? What are your favourite flowers?
Readings and discussion (about 30 minutes) Read page 8 paragraphs 1 and 2. Or have one of the readers read.
Laura Sheridan’s family are having a garden party. Have you ever been to a party in a garden?
Read page 14 last paragraph. Or have one of the readers read). : `There’s been a horrible accident, said Cook. A man killed’, to the end of page 16.
A neighbor of the Sheridans has been killed in an accident, but he is a tradesman, not the same class as the Sheridans. Do you think they should stop their party?
Turn to page 26 and say: The Sheridans’ party is finished, and they have a lot of food left over. This is what Mrs Sheridan suggests:
Read page 26. Or have one of the readers read. Do you think that a present of left-over food will comfort the woman who has just lost her husband? Do you think Mrs Sheridan understands this? Do you like Mrs Sheridan? Do you think Laura is a nicer person than her mother?
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The part of the story where Laura takes the basket to the widow is difficult. We might read page 29, where the language is so descriptive, and ask:
Do you think it was a mistake for Laura to be going to give the basket to the dead man’s widow?
It will depend on how the readers react to the earlier parts of the story. It may simply be appropriate to read descriptions of the garden and the party, i.e. page 24.
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LITTLE WOMEN

Lead in (about 10 minutes)
Make sure everyone has a copy of the book, and show them the cover.
Possible questions: Do you know the story?
Are these girls sisters? Look at the picture on the inside of the cover Here are the girls with their mother. They call her Marmee.
Do they look happy? Shall we read something about them?

Readings and discussion (about 30 minutes)
Read descriptions of the first 5 characters in the book, (OR have one of the readers read). and explain that they can check up on the characters any time while reading. Turn over and see if they can guess which girl is in the picture. (It’s Amy).

Read page 7.

Are the girls happy? Are they rich or poor? Is it a problem to be poor?

In Little Women, there are 5 chapters, each with a summary. Each chapter is a story in itself and takes about 8 minutes to read aloud. The best approach might be to choose a chapter you like, and read it through, stopping if anything in the text provokes remarks or questions. There are not many pictures in this book, so you might have a copy open at the chapter heading picture, to give READERS something to look at and refer to while listening.

Read pages 8-9 The Christmas presents Would you like any of the presents the girls and their mother gave?

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Read pages 10 ­ 11 Giving a Christmas breakfast to the Hummels Did the girls and their mother have any breakfast? Do you think it was a good thing to do? Why? You must have often given some baking to your neighbours. Can you tell us about it?
Chapter 2: Jo and Meg go to a dance pages 19 ­ 28 Do you remember when you went to a dance? Your first dance? Who did you go with? What did you wear? Do you like dancing?
Chapter 3: Jo and Laurie go skating and Amy follows them and nearly drowns pages 31 40 Can you skate? Do you like it? Do you know anyone who has fallen through the ice? Have you ever saved someone from drowning?
Chapter 4: Marmee has to go to look after Mr March, Beth gets scarlet fever and Amy is sent to stay with Aunt March pages 43 -50
Have you ever had a telegram? Do you know anyone who has had scarlet fever? Do you like parrots?
Chapter 5: Mr March comes home and John proposes to Meg pages 53 – 62 Should parents say if it’s ok for their children to get married? (if we can do this tactfully) Who is married? How long for? Do you need to have money to be happily married?
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6. MESSAGE FROM DOVETALE PRESS EDITORS We do hope that the readers enjoy both reading the books and the ensuing discussions, and the fact that they are taking place in the Public Library. If you have any comments to make about the books and the book groups, we will be delighted to receive them. Kindest regards,
Sally and Gill Contact us on [email protected] Dr Sally Rimkeit, psychogeriatrician ([email protected]) Dr Gillian Claridge, applied linguist www.dovetalepress.com
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