Content - Reading - Sharing the experience - Topic guides at Dementia Australia Library Service

eBooks

Printed resources

Dementia Australia resources

Talking to someone with dementia
Losing the ability to communicate can be one of the most frustrating and difficult problems for people with dementia, their families and carers. As the illness progresses, a person with dementia experiences a gradual lessening of their ability to communicate. They find it more and more difficult to express themselves clearly and to understand what others say.

The Dementia Guide by Dementia Australia
Publication Date: 2024; edited 2025

For people living with dementia, their families and carers. The Dementia Guide is an important resource for any person impacted by any form of dementia, of any age. This resource contains information about the impact dementia may have on a person, the treatment, support and services they may need. It is available to read online, download as a pdf, listen to an audio version or request a print copy.
Select your language
Our dementia Help Sheets provide advice, common sense approaches and practical strategies on a wide range of subjects. These Help Sheets are available in more than 30 languages
I believe in the magic of it : Creative arts engagement, wellbeing and dementia by Dementia Australia
Publication Date: 2023

This discussion paper explores how engaging people living with dementia in the creative arts can improve their wellbeing. Exploring the psychosocial approaches to support the wellbeing of people living with dementia. Including creative arts, community-based creativity, culture and country, music and dance, reminiscence and storytelling.

Books

Reading in the Moment by Anne Vize
Publication Date: 2017

Studies have shown that reading in a melodic and rhythmic voice can produce positive changes in mood, emotion and behaviour in those with dementia. This book features: a detailed section on the background of how and what to read to those with dementia, as well as the research behind bibliotherapy.
Supporting people to live well with dementia: a guide for library services by Sarah McNichol
Publication Date: 2023

See Chapter 4 Reading and dementia
There can sometimes be a perception that people with dementia are no longer able to take part in reading activities, but this is far from the case. In the early stages of dementia, many people continue to read by themselves and, even in the later stages, there are ways of making reading more accessible to people who no longer find it easy to read alone. Crucially, dementia can be an opportunity to expand what we mean when we talk about ‘reading materials’ or ‘texts’.
Why Dementia Makes Communication Difficult by Alison Wray
Publication Date: 2021

Dementia brings many challenges, not least its ability to disrupt effective communication. The quality of communication plays a major role in how well people living with a dementia manage. When communication doesn't work well, the complications of dementia are compounded. Rather than only offering tips on what to say and how to say it, this book explores the underlying motivations of communication, so we can better understand why we say what we do, why we say it the way we do, what can go wrong, and how attempts to fix things can go awry.
The Dynamics of Dementia Communication by Alison Wray
Publication Date: 2020

It is well recognized that when people are living with a dementia, effective communication can be a challenge for both them and those they interact with. Despite a plethora of good advice, it can be surprisingly hard to sustain constructive communicative behaviours and to integrate them successfully into routine daily care and interaction. The Dynamics of Dementia Communication asks why that is. What is it about communication, as a human social and cognitive practice, that makes it so difficult to manage the disruptions caused by dementia?
Communication in the eCollection
View more resources on communication in our eCollection

Websites and resources

Life, the Universe & Stories
NSW based charity that runs shared reading groups, training and wellbeing programs. The shared reading groups are run by trained facilitators and are offered online or in person within NSW.
Library of short stories
A free, online library for reading and downloading public domain short stories. Each story is available as simple text online and downloadable as a PDF or EPUB. You can filter and sort stories by genre, length, date, author and rating.
Book Next Door
Information about dementia-friendly reading including a link to purchase dementia-friendly books written by Unforgettable Notes. Please note some of these books are also available to borrow via the Dementia Australia Library (see the Printed Resources section above).
Dovetale Press - adapted for the reader living with dementia
Dovetale Press, founded in 2014 by Dr Gillian Claridge, an applied linguist, and Dr B. Sally Rimkeit, a psychogeriatrician, carefully constructs classic books adapted for the reader living with dementia, including Alzheimer's.
Please note some of these books are also available to borrow via the Dementia Australia Library (see the Printed Resources section above).

Journal Articles / Reports

Turning Pages Together: The Power of Book Clubs for People Living with Dementia (2024)
The purpose of this brief commentary is to describe and reflect on a clinical social work practice example of a book club group therapy intervention with residential dementia patients in Australia. This commentary discusses the choice of book, facilitation strategies, and beneficial outcomes of the book club.
Rollason, A., Powell, Z., & Cadet, T. (2024). Turning Pages Together: The Power of Book Clubs for People Living with Dementia. Australian Social Work, 78(3), 364–368.
The HOMESIDE study—A research project to support people living with dementia and their family caregivers: Preliminary report on reading intervention (2024)
The HOMESIDE Reading Intervention shows promise as a non-pharmacological approach to support individuals with dementia and their family caregivers. By promoting shared meaningful reading activities, the RI aims to improve the quality of life and well-being of both care recipients and caregivers.
Smrokowska-Reichmann, A., Janus, E., Tamplin, J., et al. (2024). The HOMESIDE study—A research project to support people living with dementia and their family caregivers: Preliminary report on reading intervention. Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, 10, 1–10.
Empowering Through Literature: Navigating Dementia and Vision Loss with the Written Word (Blog article 2024)
The power of reading is important not only for information sharing but also to support creative thought and many people with dementia can continue to experience the benefits of reading.
Power of reading for people with dementia and how libraries can help
Reading can greatly benefit people in the early stages of dementia, and there are ways to help your loved one continue to enjoy this hobby. This guide also discusses how libraries can support people with dementia in continuing to enjoy reading.
Good Reads for Loved Ones with Dementia (Blog article 2020)
As a form of learning, enjoyment, escape and mental stimulation, reading is among our most rewarding activities during any phase of life. This blog article offers suggestions about the sorts of books that may be suitable for someone living with dementia.
The Impact of Reading Groups on Engagement and Social Interaction for Older Adults with Dementia: A Literature Review (2019)
This review explored the impact of therapeutic shared reading groups on the engagement and social interaction of older adults with dementia. This review also developed a protocol that may serve as a guide for developing an evidence-based shared reading group and is another potential source of a future study on shared reading.
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.
Can she still read? How some people living with dementia responded to the reading experience (2018)
This conference article explores the reading experiences and preferences of people who find reading challenging because of cognitive impairment. Participants were seven articulate volunteers claiming to enjoy reading, who had been clinically diagnosed with dementia.
Margaret, G., & Rimkeit, S. (2018). Can she still read? How some people living with dementia responded to the reading experience. Journal of Extensive Reading, 4, 266–275. https://jalt-publications.org/content/index.php/jer/article/view/102

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For library information and support please contact library@dementia.org.au or call 03 9816 5790