Caregivers Find Audio Books Beneficial

There's something comforting about having a story read to us. In many cases, our mothers or other treasured relatives pulled us up onto warm laps, and read fairytales, fables, and fantasies to us until we slept like the babes that we were, and so it 's no wonder now that hearing a story read to them is embraced by the seniors who experienced it firsthand, and then performed it for their children and grandchildren.

The people requiring extra care today were a generation of readers, but now, physical limitations might prevent them from holding a book, turning its pages, or even seeing the words. For them, audio books now can be relied upon to provide access to literature and stories that not only entertains, but continues to make them feel connected to life. Just as when they read to escape, audio books can provide the means to travel and live vicariously through the spoken word.

Some of the people being cared for today promised themselves that in retirement they would read all the books they missed while they tended to their busy lives, but now that the time has come, they are unable. Audio books provide the means, and have the added benefit of convenience for the caregiver, who already is carrying a heavy burden. The last thing they would think of doing is reading aloud.

By playing a chapter a day from an audio book, then discussing it with those who are able, cognitive skills are less likely to decline as rapidly, and your resident will have something to anticipate for the next day. A side benefit is the half-hour, or so, that the caregiver also gets a rest.

Audio books are good for the imagination. When people watch a movie, their brain doesn’t have to work to envision the scene. An audio book, on the other hand, forces a listener to create their own visual picture of the characters, and the setting as it is described or inferred through narration. In a room of thirty people, you will find thirty different mental images conceived from the same spoken words. The creativity required provides necessary exercise for aging brains.

A new audio book that is delighting seniors everywhere is My First 100 Years! by R. Waldo McBurney. Mr. McBurney is a Kansas beekeeper, who at 105-years of age still works processing honey. He also has the distinction of being the oldest person to narrate his autobiography according to the Audio Publishers Association. In this new audio book, he tells of his early life on the western plains of Kansas before electricity, walking to a one-room schoolhouse, and sharing the bath water with his siblings on Saturday nights. Elders can certainly identify with his experiences, and in many cases it will seem as though they are hearing wisdom from a parent once again.

McBurney goes on to chronicle his later track and field career in which he won numerous medals, and set records. He began distance running competitively at the age of 65, and he tells of the importance of good nutrition, faith, exercise, and a positive attitude. McBurney paid attention to twenty-one factors that he cites as important to a person’s longevity. In a friendly and sometimes humorous way he tells you how he accomplished all he has done in his extraordinary life. While he conveys the authority of a teacher, he exudes the kindness of a father. He even plays the harmonica interludes between chapters.

Books like My First 100 Years! will rekindle fond memories, and for many, it will cause some storytelling of their own. You should be prepared for this by having a small tape recorder handy to capture these reminisinces for family. You may only have one chance. The stories will occur immediatley after hearing a word or phrase that triggers their memory, and the stories may be unrelated to anything they just heard, but they may contain information that had been repressed for many years; information the family will treasure.

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