There are pros and cons of being a senior. Of course, they have lived long, wonderful lives and harbor a lot of wonderful memories and experiences many people do not have yet. They can also finally retire, take the time to relax, and have other people take care of them for once. However, being a senior also probably means that you have lost some loved ones, which means it could get pretty lonely at times.
A lot of times we overlook seniors… We tend to focus on young people and their struggles so much that we do not even realize that seniors have their own sets of problems as well. They are just different kinds of problems.
Luckily though, in the U.K., younger adults have noticed the needs that weren’t being met in the senior community and recently decided to do their part and help out.
Elderly people often feel isolated from the rest of the world (it can get lonely!).
That is why there is a program in the U.K. that helps fight this. In the program, young people are recruited as volunteers where they then read to seniors who either have problems with vision or dementia, or both.
One senior, in particular, by the name of Lorna Burnett, claims to have her vision “restored” after having a 15-year-old student named Ailsa read to her through the Reading Friends Project.
Earlier in her life, Burnett was a librarian who would read “two to three books every week.” Needless to say, she loves reading, and it was probably really hard for her when that was taken away. She was diagnosed with lupus in her 40s, which only made it harder and harder to watch television or read books for an extended amount of time. If she did any of that for too long, her eyes would begin to hurt.
The two ladies have regular reading sessions together, which helps with two things. For one thing, it has helped Burnett rekindle her love and passion for reading. She can finally connect with something that took over most of her early life!
Secondly, the readings have helped the two women build a sincere, solid friendship. Being a senior can certainly get lonely, but now with Ailsa’s help, Burnett has someone to talk to and spend time with. They often take the time to chat about the books they are reading together.
“I chose a book and she would come along and read it to me,” Burnett told BBC. “But we have only got through two books so far because we end up chatting too much. We have read two historical novels… and get on very well.”
“Research shows that reading together can help older people to build social networks and connect with others,” the organization’s website says. “Evidence also shows that reading has a positive impact on empathy, cognitive function and wellbeing and can reduce the risk of dementia.”
It sounds like The Reading Friends project is doing great things, and pairing up younger people with seniors to read together can bring nothing but good!
"The scheme has worked so well for me as a helpful tool that lets me read much more than I would." We are proud to be one of the charities featured in this year's @thetimes #ChristmasAppeal.
Read stories about our @ReadingFriends_ volunteers and groups: https://t.co/2MU2fcUIC9 pic.twitter.com/9y9mUIafHy
— The Reading Agency (@readingagency) January 6, 2020
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