“Dear Jan, I would like to source some new books for our book trolley. Lots of our books are too long or the text is too small. Do you have any suggestions of books that are suitable for care home residents?”
Yolanda, Activity Coordinator
Dear Yolanda,
First of all, I would like to say, I love the idea of your own mobile library on a book trolley. So many care homes I visit have shelves full of books that are just there for show and are never even looked at by the residents!
Sourcing books
You can often source cheap, larger print books from charity shops, and sometimes libraries sell on excess stock. It may also be worth putting a poster up in the local charity shop asking for the types of books you are after. Be selective, otherwise you may drown in donations from well-meaning friends! Make sure your book trolley offers a variety of genres – both fiction and non-fiction.
Heavy or hardback books can be overwhelming and too much for a resident. It is okay to have one or two, but they may prefer something they find easier to pick up and put down by themselves. Ideally, aim for large print books, which are quite easily found nowadays.
Make your own!
Make up scrapbooks of the local area. Your tourist information centre should be able to help with materials, or get out and about and take your own photos of local tourist attractions. You could also make up your own gardening, crafting, sporting or holiday scrapbooks.
Your local history society may be able to help with materials. You could also ask the local primary school or Guides or Scouts group to put one together for your care home. Make sure they know to use large print and lots of interesting, colourful pictures.
Magazines
It’s always worth including a few of these on your trolley. Ask for copies from families and friends, and, of course, make sure you include your Daily Sparkle!
Talking books
The RNIB and Calibre both offer talking books. For those residents who enjoy them or who cannot see to read, it is worth sourcing a player so they are not missing out. Taking newspapers are also available in some areas – your local library may stock these.
Listening Books is an organisation offering a postal and online audiobook subscription service.
Remember:
Keep refreshing your stock. Some books may be seasonal, so if you have storage space, you should rotate your stock to keep it fresh.
Some companies sell reminiscence books especially made for people with dementia. These can be expensive, but are a great addition to your trolley if you have the funds. Perhaps you could hold a fundraiser in order to purchase a selection of these.
You may have a wide range of abilities within your home, and it is therefore important to cater for all tastes. Make sure you ask about residents’ favourite types of books when you are asking life history questions.
Take your book trolley to the next level…
You could consider forming a mini library within your home. Attach a sheet of paper (branded with your care home logo) to the inside cover of each book, and then spend a craft session making library cards for each resident. Each time they choose a book, encourage – or assist – them to write their name and the date on the inner cover sheet. You could spend another craft session making bookmarks for each of your new library members!
Best wishes,
Jan
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