Arts-based interventions are increasingly used to ameliorate the symptoms and increase the personal and social wellbeing of people with dementia. However, these are often music and object-based, with literary interventions overlooked. This is despite the extensive evidence for the benefits of reading literature, and shared reading in particular, on people with dementia.
The Method
Shared reading, a method developed and championed by The Reader, involves a group facilitated by a Reader Leader. A text (e.g. a prose extract or poem) is read aloud and participants can read off the page as well, if they wish. The Reader Leader facilitates group discussion of the text, drawing out readers’ natural and spontaneous responses, feelings and memories. The conversation it can spark is often illuminating and participants very quickly arrive at topics that that don’t emerge in everyday conversation, and share memories and feelings that don’t always surface.
As trained Reader Leaders, we incorporate The Reader’s practices into our method, which is further developed by working with people with dementia through our project partners, Dementia NI. We build accessibility and co-design into our method.
As of summer 2025, we are supporting three empowerment facilitators from Dementia NI to undertake training with The Reader, with a view to becoming trained Reader Leaders able to facilitate a reading group for people with dementia. Two Roscommon County Library librarians, alongside a member of both the Roscommon Leader Partnership and Western Alzheimer’s Roscommon are also undertaking the training, helping us to expand the outreach of the project to cover the Belfast, Omagh and Roscommon areas in Autumn 2025.
The Benefits
Research has shown the benefits of shared reading specifically for people with dementia, improving their symptoms and wellbeing. A comprehensive Literature Review of existing research carried out by De Vries et al (2019) summarises the benefits as follows:
- Enhanced quality of life (Carroll et al., 2013; Longden et al., 2016)
- Improved social engagement and interaction (Billington et al., 2013; Carroll et al., 2013; Longden et al., 2016; McLaine, 2012; Skrajner & Camp, 2007)
- Improved relationships and environment with other group members, staff, family members, and residents of the care home (Billington et al., 2013; Carroll et al., 2013)
- Improved mood and behavior (Carroll et al., 2013; McLaine, 2012)
- A sense of enjoyment expressed by participants and observed by staff and family (Billington et al., 2013; Carroll et al., 2013)
- Improved communication (Billington et al., 2013; Carroll et al., 2013; McLaine,2012)
- Creating a sense of identity (Billington et al., 2013)
- Opportunities for self–expression (Billington et al., 2013; Longden et al., 2016)
- Increased appropriateness of comments and conversation (Billington et al., 2013;Carroll et al., 2013; Longden et al., 2016)
References
Billington, J., Carroll, J., Davis, P., Healey, C., & Kinderman, P. (2013). A literature-based intervention for older adults living with dementia. Perspectives in Public Health, 133(3), 165–173.
Carroll, J., Kinderman, P., & Davis, P. (2013). ‘Read to care: An investigation into the quality of life benefits of shared reading groups for people living with dementia‘.
DeVries, D. Bollin, A., Brouwer, K., Marion, A., Nass, H., & Pompilius, A. (2019) ‘The Impact of Reading Groups on Engagement and Social Interaction for Older Adults with Dementia: A Literature Review’. Therapeutic Recreation Journal, 53(1), 53-75. https://doi.org/10.18666/TRJ-2019-V53-I1-8866
Longden, D., Davis, P., Carroll, J., Billington, J., & Kinderman, P. (2016). An evaluation of shared reading groups for adults living with dementia: Preliminary findings.Journal of Public Mental Health, 15(2), 75–82.
McLaine, S. (2012). Bibliotherapy: Reading for well-being in old age. Alzheimer’s Australia Dementia Forum.
Skrajner, M. J., & Camp, C. J. (2007). Resident-assisted Montessori programming (RAMP™): Use of a small-group reading activity run by persons with dementia in adult day health care and long-term care settings. American Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Dementias, 22(1), 27–36. doi: 10.1177/1533317506297895