BALTIMORE, MD–"It's a wonderful way to share time together," says Susan Friedman, a registered nurse from Pennsylvania whose stepmother suffers from Alzheimer’s disease. “We get to sit close, hug and laugh, and sing songs.” Communication with her stepmother had become difficult during their weekly visits as the degenerative brain disease progressed, often just consisting of repetitive questions and answers. But recently, Friedman discovered Two-Lap Books™, a series of illustrated books designed to stimulate communication with individuals with memory impairments caused by Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, stroke, or other conditions.

"These books provide a safe, non-challenging, and yet stimulating, experience for us," Friedman says. “I love how the words and illustrations allow memories to resurface and how the books give us something real to talk about together.” Caregivers of the approximately 4.5 million Americans with Alzheimer’s disease will be pleased to know that the second book in the series, Happy New Year to You! A Read-Aloud Book for Memory-Challenged Adults, is now available.

Hailed by Alzheimer’s experts as innovative and inspiring, Two-Lap Books promote conversation, encourage social interaction, and inspire reminiscence. Large enough to fit over the laps of two reading companions, Happy New Year to You! has colorful illustrations and simple text celebrating familiar activities associated with each month of the year, such as watching fireworks in July and visiting a farmer’s market in October. Depending on the level of language skills retained by the person with memory impairment, the book can be read out loud by the person or by the caregiver. And for those unsure how to lead a conversation with a person with memory impairment, the book provides helpful prompts, as well as suggestions for related songs to sing together.

Lydia Burdick developed the concept of the Two-Lap Book while caring for her mother who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. “Reading the words and discussing the illustrations was a happy activity for us to do together,” she remembers. "I felt that I had my mother back when we were reading and reminiscing with the book." Burdick also says, "I'm thrilled to hear from so many people who are discovering that Two-Lap Books are a wonderful and delightful way for both the person with memory challenges and his or her companion to enjoy each other and relate intimately during the progression of these difficult diseases."

The series has been embraced by professionals in the field of aging, as well as caregivers and family members of individuals with memory impairments. These books are "a wonderful way to engage with a memory-impaired adult," says Peter Rabins, M.D., M.P.H., Professor of Psychiatry at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Former caregiver and eldercare advocate Jacqueline Marcell describes the books as "an enchanting way to instantly create closeness, spark recognition, and share moments of joy with a memory-challenged loved one." The first book in the series, The Sunshine on My Face: A Read-Aloud Book for Memory-Challenged Adults, was published in December 2004 and won a 2005 National Mature Media Award.

Happy New Year to You! A Read-Aloud Book for Memory-Challenged Adults

by Lydia Burdick, M.A.

(Health Professions Press, 2006)

28 pages, full-color illustrations, 9½ x 11 hardback, $18.95, ISBN 1-932529-20-9

Review copies of Happy New Year to You! A Read-Aloud Book for Memory-Challenged Adults are available upon request. For more information, contact Amy Perkins (Phone: 410-337-9585, Fax: 410-337-8539, aperkins@healthpropress.com).

About the Author

With a master’s degree in Clinical Practices (psychology), Lydia Burdick’s career has been in human resources. Since 1993, she has been a consultant at an international outplacement firm. Her interest in Alzheimer’s disease stems from her mother’s diagnosis in 1998.

Founded in 1990, Health Professions Press is a publisher of high-quality educational resources for professionals in the fields of aging, long-term care, and health services administration. An independent company, Health Professions Press is located in Baltimore, Maryland. Please visit www.healthpropress.com for more information.