Q: How did you develop the idea for such a unique book?

A: I wrote this book for my mother, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 1998. My mother was at a stage in the disease where she was not initiating any conversations and was barely answering our questions. I thought a book about the pleasant activities my mother was doing in her life would be a way for us to communicate, as well as focus on positive things. With the progression of the disease, I was at a point where it was too easy to look at the negative things that were happening to my mother. I wanted us to experience being alive and happy together. The book helped us connect in that way.

Q: Is this really the first book for people with Alzheimer’s disease or other memory impairments to read with a reading companion?

A: Yes, it is! I originally tried to just buy a book for my mother to read. But after a search of local bookstores came up empty, I decided to write one myself. This book really fills a void.

Q: If it is simple text you need, why can’t you just read a children’s book with a person with Alzheimer’s disease?

A: The problem with children’s books is that they don’t describe the life experiences of older adults — of people like my mother. I wanted my mother to relate to the words she was reading and see illustrations of older people. Also, my mother was a kindergarten teacher for 20 years.  I was afraid she'd recognize the books for what they were and think to herself, “I don't want to read that!  It’s for children!” It’s important not to insult a person with dementia and I think reading a children’s book could have that effect.

Q: How much did you personalize this book to your mother’s interests? How do you know it will speak to others with dementia?

A: When I wrote the book, I picked experiences that my mother could still enjoy despite her illness, such as soaking in a bathtub or listening to a rainstorm. But these aren’t particular to my mother — any adult, with or without Alzheimer’s, can enjoy them. The only things in the book that are specific to my mother are small things, such as the pink sneakers in the illustrations — my mother always wore pink sneakers in the summer, so the lady in the illustrations wears them. It’s a little something to make my brother, sisters, and me smile and remember.

Q: Of all the experiences described in the book, why did you choose “the sunshine on my face” for the title?

A: Feeling the sun on one’s face is a wonderful feeling that we don’t often acknowledge. I thought it was the most immediate way to bring a smile to my mother’s face, and I was right. “I love to feel the sunshine on my face” is the first line of the book, and after my mother would read this line out loud, I would ask her playfully, “Who did you say likes to feel the sunshine on her face?” She couldn’t help but say “I do,” and her face lit up with a big smile. It made me so happy to see her smile. We didn’t see her smiling too much in those days.

Q: What exactly do you mean when you say in your book that you gave your mother — and presumably others with dementia — “words to say”?

A: Experts say that people with Alzheimer’s and other dementias “lose their way” to communication centers in the brain.  My book “rounds up” words that are about the simple activities most people with dementia are still doing in the moderate to severe stages of the disease and gives these to people with Alzheimer’s in a book of their own.

Q: If it’s hard to get a person with Alzheimer’s involved in an activity, how do you recommend getting your loved one interested in reading this book with you?

A: In my case, my mother seemed to be content not doing much of anything. In the later stages of the disease, I used enthusiasm and encouragement to get her engaged. I told her I wrote a book especially for her, and then I asked her if she would read each page out loud to me. Sometimes I made a “deal” with her and said I’d read a page if she would read the next. And I talked with my mother about each page after we read it and looked at the pictures.  Once I got her “going,” we would read until the end of the book.  I see enthusiasm and encouragement as the key to involving people with Alzheimer’s in this activity.

Q: You say there are four ways you can use this book with people with memory impairment caused by Alzheimer’s disease or other dementias.  What are these ways?

A: All four ways have the reading companion sitting beside the person with memory impairment and guiding them through each page and illustration. First, the person with memory impairment can be invited to read the words on each page to the companion. Second, if the person can’t read or isn’t willing to, the words can be read to them by the companion. Third, the pages can be read in an alternating fashion, one page by the companion and the next by the person. Fourth, the companion can talk about the illustrations and ask the person questions about the activities using the book’s conversation prompts.

The main goal is to have a good time sitting together and talking about everyday activities.

Q: What did you and your mother get out of reading this book and what do you hope others will get out of it?

A: My mother enjoyed reading this book with me. She read the words, we looked at the illustrations, and she answered my questions about both. When she answered my questions, she usually smiled as she answered. I enjoyed the opportunity to hear my mother’s voice and to spend quality time together. You know, life can be very difficult when you care for someone with this disease and see the person “slipping away” more and more over time. My mother and I had a meaningful and warm activity to do together when we read the words and looked at the pictures in this book. I’m confident that other families and caregivers will appreciate this activity too. I am delighted that Health Professions Press is making it available for families, friends and professional caregivers of people with Alzheimer’s and other dementias. What is great is that even children can read this book with their grandparents. Also, it can be read over the phone so long-distance family members can hear a loved one’s voice. My advice is to sit back, relax, and share this book with someone with Alzheimer’s disease. And don’t forget to use the conversation prompts, or ask your own questions, after reading each page!

Q: This book is the first in a new series of Two-Lap™ books.  What is the significance of the “Two-Lap” concept?

A: The Two-Lap concept is one that is designed to have a companion stop the usual caregiving activities, sit down next to the person with Alzheimer’s, and share the book across both of their laps. Whether the companion can guide the person to read the words or the words are just read aloud to the person, the two people are reminiscing, sharing, and being “connected.”