Conversation with Lydia Burdick: Happy New Year to You!: A Read-Aloud Book for Memory-Challenged Adults (Burdick)

A Conversation with Lydia Burdick, author of
Wishing on a Star
A Read-Aloud Book for Memory-Challenged Adults

Q: Wishing On a Star is the 3rd book in the Two-Lap™ book series. How would you describe this series?

A: Two-Lap Books meet a special niche - these books are specially written for people with Alzheimer's and other types of dementia to read with family, friends and other caregivers. I wrote the first book, "The Sunshine on My Face," to celebrate pleasant things in life with my mother, who had late-stage dementia, and to remind both of us about the joy in life we still shared. Two-Lap Books have become known as go-to activity and resource books for sharing warm, loving time together in the face of the
unrelenting progression of Alzheimer’s. My “goal”, plain and simple, was for the words to bring smiles to the faces of those with dementia and their caregivers.

Q: So, are Two-Lap Books intended for the caregiver as much as for the memory-challenged person?

A. You know, you really could say that. Caregivers often find Two-Lap Books to be invaluable, as they provide some "structure" for a loving, close, and tender visit with a loved one. aregivers and loved ones of a person with mid- or late-stage dementia know too well that there isn’t much to say or do after the initial "hello" and hug, as their loved one has usually lost some significant degree of speech and mobility. Two-Lap Books bring the words to the person who may have lost communication skills.

And, caregivers do appreciate and respond to the text too. For example, one of the pages in Wishing On a Star says "I love to see you smile." It would be hard for both reading partners not to share a smile after reading those words!

Q: Are there special ways to use Two-Lap Books?

A: Yes. There are several ways you can use Two-Lap Books, and they are outlined in the beginning of each book. All Two-Lap Books have large, easy-to-read text and beautiful, vivid illustrations. The idea is to reminisce and talk about both of these. Each book has a section for suggested Conversation Prompts – questions the caregiver can ask regarding the content of each page. Also Happy New Year to You! and Wishing On a Star include Suggested Songs that relate to the content of each specific page.

You can read all the pages in the book, some of the pages, or your favorite page with your companion. You can encourage them to read (you may not know initially if they can read, and with gentle encouragement, you may discover that they can). You can read to them. You can look at and discuss the pictures or you can sing songs that the pictures suggest. Two-Lap Books® are designed for you to be the creative guide in finding what is most engaging for each individual with memory loss.

Q: How did you develop the idea for these unique books?

A: I found myself “missing” my mother when I went to visit her in the mid to late stages of the disease. Mom wasn’t speaking at this time, except for the occasional “Yes” or “No” in response to a question.

It occurred to me one day after giving my mother a magazine to “read” that I didn’t really know what she was experiencing. Was she actually reading the words she was seeing? Did she understand the words she read? Was she looking at pictures? Comprehending the pictures? Or, was she simply staring at pages and flipping them until she got to the end? I knew that if I asked her, "Mom, are you reading?" she would say yes, as flipping pages might have meant "reading" to her at that point.

I decided I wanted to find out what she was really doing, and I realized that the only way I would know what she meant by "reading" would be to sit down with her and ask her to read the words we were both seeing. And I would ask her about the content of the material so I could see if she understood what she had just read.

Then the question became, what would I show her to read? I remember very clearly thinking that the disease was claiming more and more of the mother I knew. I knew there was nothing I could do about the disease progression. I thought, however, that there was something I could do about the material I gave Mom to read. I looked at the content of the magazines she had been perusing – cooking, fashion, child-rearing articles – and I felt that that wasn’t quite what I had in mind. I determined that I wouldn't sit down and read with her until I had some material that I felt was sweet and loving and that we would both enjoy. I had a very clear picture of the book I was looking for to read with my mother, and when I didn't find that book in any bookstore, I sat down to write it myself. That first book turned out to be the first book in the Two-Lap Book series, The Sunshine on My Face.

Q: Two-Lap books are designed especially for older adults with memory impairments. But, if it's simple text you need, why couldn't you just read a children's book?

A: I did look at children's books and saw, of course, content that related to children. Older people were in these books as peripheral characters, but the books were about children and what they did. I wanted to read a book to my mother that had older adults, like her, as the main characters, and I wanted these older people to be doing activities that my mother would still be enjoying at this stage of her life, like taking a nap or enjoying fresh pie.

In Wishing On a Star, the words and pictures are about universal activities we all enjoy as adults, such as spending time with family, waking up to birds singing, cheering a favorite team, and of course making happy wishes! It’s important not to insult a person with dementia, and I think reading a children’s book could have that effect. In my case in particular, my mother had been a kindergarten teacher in the New
York City public schools for over 20 years and I was certain she’d recognize a book intended for children.

Q: How do you start reading a Two-Lap Book with someone with Alzheimer's?

A: You may not know, as I didn’t know, if a person with memory impairment can read. The first time I sat down with my mother I wasn’t sure whether she could or would read my written material. Reading, however, is a deeply ingrained skill that sometimes just needs some encouragement to stimulate. You can tell the person that you have a special book you would enjoy reading with him or her and that you think he or she would enjoy reading with you. Open the book over your two laps and encourage the
person to read.

Gently invite the person to say the sentence out loud. Remember, some people who can’t initiate speech anymore on their own can still read words presented to them with an interested partner. After encouraging a few times, it may become clear that he or she cannot or will not read; then you can read to the person. They may change their mind after a little while! You can also read the pages in an alternating fashion, one page by the companion and the next by the reading partner. Or, the readers can just pick one page to read and discuss.

Instead of reading the text, you can also just talk about the illustrations and use them to encourage memories about the past. Wishing On a Star includes song suggestions for each illustration. People with Alzheimer’s often retain the ability to sing and enjoy singing songs, especially from their own era.

If you asked me if there is a “goal” in using Two-Lap Books, I would tell you that it is to have the books increase the quantity and quality of interactions you have with your loved one with dementia. Think of Two-Lap Books as a tool to increase the amount of pleasure you may have with each other during a visit – whether you read every page and talk about every illustration – or just sing one song on your favorite page.

Q: Is it hard to start a conversation with a person with memory impairment?

A: It can be hard, and sometimes impossible, to have a conversation with a person with memory impairment. Two-Lap Books may be a way to have verbal communication with your loved ones, whether they are reading the sentences in the book or answering a question you ask them (a question of your own making or one listed in the conversation prompts in the back of all Two-Lap Books).

Reading the book with my mother was the only way I was able to have a conversation where she said more than her usual one-word response, because she was both reading the sentences out loud and responding to my questions about the sentence. I was so happy to hear my mother’s voice every time we read the book together - which is why, after I wrote the first book, I read it with my mother every time I visited her. For me, it was a way to relate, be close, and be happy!

Q: What types of questions can you ask about the book?

A: In general, you can ask a person to describe the scene in the illustration or to point out people, objects, or colors. You can also make up little games to play. A popular feature in the book series is the appearance of some kind of dog in every illustration, so some readers have fun playing "find the dog."

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

A: I see enthusiasm and encouragement as the key to involving people with Alzheimer's in this activity. I would usually sit down right next to my mother. I told her I would like to read with her, and then started in. I found that being enthusiastic and upbeat would always get her engaged. She would read a few pages with me, and then I might make a little "deal" with her, saying that I'd read one page if she would read the next. I talked with my mother about each page after we read it and we looked at the pictures. We would usually read until the end of the book.

Q: Tell me more about your experience with your mother and the first Two-Lap Book, The Sunshine on My Face. What did you both get out of the experience?

A: My mother enjoyed reading the material from the book with me. She read the words out loud, we looked at the illustrations, and she answered my questions about both. She often smiled when she answered my questions, which was a joy to me because it had become such a rare experience. Sometimes, and I truly loved these times, her eyes lit up and her whole face brightened in remembrance of a loved activity or person. For example, after my mother read "I love to feel the sunshine on my face"from my first book, I asked her how the sun felt on her face. She burst into a sunny smile and told me, "The sun feels warm."I felt I had my mother "back" during these wonderful moments.

And, again, I truly enjoyed hearing my mother's voice when she read out loud. Remember, she really wasn't talking, aside from when she read with me. The time we spent reading together was the best time she and I had together in that last part of her life. As for all those who are caring for someone with dementia, life is very, very difficult when someone you love keeps "slipping away"more and more over time. This book is all about what you can still share and enjoy together. The Two-Lap Book concept is about bringing this appreciation of being alive and being in this moment to both readers.

Q: I expected Wishing On a Star to be a storybook, but it doesn't actually tell a story. Why is this?

A: People with dementia often can't track a story from beginning to end, so each page in a Two-Lap Book stands on its own as a unique idea. There's a little structure — Happy New Year! goes through each month of the year and Wishing On a Star loosely goes through one day from beginning to end — but the books are designed to be enjoyed on whatever page you are on, no matter what comes before or after. That way, you can feel good however much of the book you read in any visit - start in the middle, read two pages, or sing a few songs. Some people just like to look at their favorite pages every time! Whatever you do is perfect!

Q: How have people with memory impairments and their caregivers responded to your Two-Lap Books™ the original illustrated books for people with memory impairments?

A: I have been thrilled to hear from so many caregivers around the world who have read Two-Lap Books with their loved ones with Alzheimer's. They tell me what great resources the books are for having an enjoyable visit for themselves and their whole family, including the children! Caregivers say that it's like a "mini-vacation"for themselves, as they take time out from their usual caregiving activities to sit with their loved one and focus on what is still enjoyable.

I am proud that The Sunshine on My Face received a National Mature Media Award, when it first published in recognition of this innovative reading concept.

Q: Is it true that some people with Alzheimer's who haven't spoken for some time will speak when reading or looking at your books? Why do you think this happens?

A: Yes, I have heard of a number of situations where people with mid to advanced dementia read the book's sentences or responded to questions after not speaking for quite some time. Experts say that people with Alzheimer's lose their way to the words as the disease progresses. Yet people like my mother, who have lost the ability to generate a sentence on their own, sometimes maintain an ability to read words and can speak this way.

Q: And if a person can't read anymore, can you still use this book together, without reading text, just looking at the pictures and singing songs?

A: Yes, that's right. Use the book in the way that's best for you and your reading partner, and that can change from visit to visit. On one visit, you can look at pictures on a few pages; on another visit you can sing songs from several pages. Let your intuition and creativity be your guide!

Q: Are you finding this book has universal appeal to caregivers and people with Alzheimer's?

A: Yes, we are finding that is true. The Two-Lap Books were designed to be universally appealing and meaningful, and it is quite satisfying to see that that is the way they are, in fact, being received.

For more information contact Health Professions Press toll free at 888-337-8808 or visit us online at www.healthpropress.com