Short Stories/ Books of Poetry?

[Fatbttmgrl127 0]

Hi all! My name is Sarah & I'm an activities assistant at a retirement community, but I work mainly with residents in our Health Care facility. Most of them have very short attention spans and can not follow long stories. I was wondering if anyone knew the name of specific books or authors I could use for either a short story or poetry reading activity. I find that the humorous ones work the best at keeping their attention as long as it doesn't require much thinking. Unfortunately though I can't find many that I feel are suitable to seniors (as opposed to children). If anyone has any ideas I would definitely LOVE to hear them!!!

 

Thanks,

Sarah

[themusiclady 1]

I like to use humerous verse in my music groups, some of the songs the residents remember from way back when like this Mills Brothers song:

 

Across the alley from the Alamo

Lived a pinto pony and a Navajo

Who sang a song of Indian Hi-de-ho

To the people passing by

 

The pinto spent his time a-swhishin' flies

And the Navajo watched the lazy skies

And rarely did they ever rest their eyes

On the people passing by

 

One day they went a walkin'

Along the railroad track

They were swishin' not lookin'

Toot! Toot! They never came back

 

Toot! Toot! They never came back

 

*

 

This is something I used last week:

 

As you go through life,

whatever your goal:

Keep your eye

on the doughnut

and not on the hole!

 

*

[ILoveMyLVN 0]

Hi Sarah,

 

James Thurber is a great author from the timeframe that some of your patients would remember (50's, 60's). He has a lot of funny short stories about his home, pets etc, amusing things that are told in a charming funny way.

 

There is also a site called butlerwebs (you can google it) which has some great daily trivia that is short and gives celebrity birthdays, notable facts for each day of the month. I like to print it out at beginning of each month.

 

Hope this helps!

[lmocto 0]

Hi all! My name is Sarah & I'm an activities assistant at a retirement community, but I work mainly with residents in our Health Care facility. Most of them have very short attention spans and can not follow long stories. I was wondering if anyone knew the name of specific books or authors I could use for either a short story or poetry reading activity. I find that the humorous ones work the best at keeping their attention as long as it doesn't require much thinking. Unfortunately though I can't find many that I feel are suitable to seniors (as opposed to children). If anyone has any ideas I would definitely LOVE to hear them!!!

 

Thanks,

Sarah

[Pennie 26]

Hi

Someone sent me this short story via email. I fell in love with it. I do not know who the Author is. I thought that some of you might also enjoy it & want to share it with your resident's.

Pennie

Rose

The first day of school our professor introduced himself and challenged us to get to know someone we didn't already know. I stood up to look around when a gentle hand touched my shoulder.

I turned round to find a wrinkled, little old lady beaming up at me with a smile that lit up her entire being.

 

She said, 'Hi handsome. My name is Rose.

I'm eighty-seven years old. Can I give you a hug?'

 

I laughed and enthusiastically responded, 'Of course you may!' and she gave me a giant squeeze.

 

'Why are you in college at such a young, innocent age?' I asked.

 

She jokingly replied, 'I'm here to meet a rich husband, get married, and have a couple of kids...'

 

'No seriously,' I asked. I was curious what may have motivated her to be taking on this challenge at her age.

 

'I always dreamed of having a college education and now I'm getting one!' she told me.

 

After class we walked to the student union building and shared a chocolate milkshake.

 

We became instant friends. Every day for the next three months we would leave class together and talk nonstop I was always mesmerized listening to this 'time machine' as she shared her wisdom and expe rience with me.

 

Over the course of the year, Rose became a campus icon and she easily made friends wherever she went.

 

She loved to dress up and she reveled in the attention bestowed upon her from the other students. She was living it up.

 

At the end of the semester we invited Rose to speak at our football banquet.

 

I'll never forget what she taught us. She was introduced and stepped up to the podium. As she began to deliver her prepared speech, she dropp ed her three by five cards on the floor.

 

Frustrated and a little embarrassed she leaned into the microphone and simply said, 'I'm sorry I'm so jittery. I gave up beer for Lent and this whiskey is killing me! I'll never get my speech back in order so let me just tell you what I know.'

 

As we laughed she cleared her throat and began, 'We do not stop playing because we are old; we grow old because we stop playing.

 

There are only four secrets to staying young, being happy, and achieving success. You have to laugh and find humor every day. You've got to have a dream. When you lose your dreams, you die..

 

We have so many people walking around who are dead and don't even know it!

 

There is a huge difference between growing older and growing up.

 

If you are nineteen years old and lie in bed for one full year and don't do one productive thing, you will turn twenty years old. If I am eighty-seven years old and stay in bed for a year and never do any thing I will turn eighty-eight.

 

Anybody can grow older. That doesn't take any talent or ability. The idea is to grow up by always finding opportunity in change. Have no regrets.

 

The elderly usually don't have regrets for what we did, but rather for things we did not do. The only people who fear death are those withregrets.'

 

She concluded her speech by courageously singing 'The Rose.'

 

She challenged each of us to study the lyrics and live them out in our daily lives.

 

At the year's end Rose finished the college degree she had begun all those years ago.

 

One week after graduation Rose died peacefully in her sleep.

 

Over two thousand college students attended her funeral in tribute to the wonderful woman who taught by example that

it's never too late to be all you can possibly be

[Bobbielynn 0]

Hi

Someone sent me this short story via email. I fell in love with it. I do not know who the Author is. I thought that some of you might also enjoy it & want to share it with your resident's.

Pennie

Rose

The first day of school our professor introduced himself and challenged us to get to know someone we didn't already know. I stood up to look around when a gentle hand touched my shoulder.

I turned round to find a wrinkled, little old lady beaming up at me with a smile that lit up her entire being.

 

She said, 'Hi handsome. My name is Rose.

I'm eighty-seven years old. Can I give you a hug?'

 

I laughed and enthusiastically responded, 'Of course you may!' and she gave me a giant squeeze.

 

'Why are you in college at such a young, innocent age?' I asked.

 

She jokingly replied, 'I'm here to meet a rich husband, get married, and have a couple of kids...'

 

'No seriously,' I asked. I was curious what may have motivated her to be taking on this challenge at her age.

 

'I always dreamed of having a college education and now I'm getting one!' she told me.

 

After class we walked to the student union building and shared a chocolate milkshake.

 

We became instant friends. Every day for the next three months we would leave class together and talk nonstop I was always mesmerized listening to this 'time machine' as she shared her wisdom and expe rience with me.

 

Over the course of the year, Rose became a campus icon and she easily made friends wherever she went.

 

She loved to dress up and she reveled in the attention bestowed upon her from the other students. She was living it up.

 

At the end of the semester we invited Rose to speak at our football banquet.

 

I'll never forget what she taught us. She was introduced and stepped up to the podium. As she began to deliver her prepared speech, she dropp ed her three by five cards on the floor.

 

Frustrated and a little embarrassed she leaned into the microphone and simply said, 'I'm sorry I'm so jittery. I gave up beer for Lent and this whiskey is killing me! I'll never get my speech back in order so let me just tell you what I know.'

 

As we laughed she cleared her throat and began, 'We do not stop playing because we are old; we grow old because we stop playing.

 

There are only four secrets to staying young, being happy, and achieving success. You have to laugh and find humor every day. You've got to have a dream. When you lose your dreams, you die..

 

We have so many people walking around who are dead and don't even know it!

 

There is a huge difference between growing older and growing up.

 

If you are nineteen years old and lie in bed for one full year and don't do one productive thing, you will turn twenty years old. If I am eighty-seven years old and stay in bed for a year and never do any thing I will turn eighty-eight.

 

Anybody can grow older. That doesn't take any talent or ability. The idea is to grow up by always finding opportunity in change. Have no regrets.

 

The elderly usually don't have regrets for what we did, but rather for things we did not do. The only people who fear death are those withregrets.'

 

She concluded her speech by courageously singing 'The Rose.'

 

She challenged each of us to study the lyrics and live them out in our daily lives.

 

At the year's end Rose finished the college degree she had begun all those years ago.

 

One week after graduation Rose died peacefully in her sleep.

 

Over two thousand college students attended her funeral in tribute to the wonderful woman who taught by example that

it's never too late to be all you can possibly be

[Bobbielynn 0]

Hi

Someone sent me this short story via email. I fell in love with it. I do not know who the Author is. I thought that some of you might also enjoy it & want to share it with your resident's.

Pennie

Rose

The first day of school our professor introduced himself and challenged us to get to know someone we didn't already know. I stood up to look around when a gentle hand touched my shoulder.

I turned round to find a wrinkled, little old lady beaming up at me with a smile that lit up her entire being.

 

She said, 'Hi handsome. My name is Rose.

I'm eighty-seven years old. Can I give you a hug?'

 

I laughed and enthusiastically responded, 'Of course you may!' and she gave me a giant squeeze.

 

'Why are you in college at such a young, innocent age?' I asked.

 

She jokingly replied, 'I'm here to meet a rich husband, get married, and have a couple of kids...'

 

'No seriously,' I asked. I was curious what may have motivated her to be taking on this challenge at her age.

 

'I always dreamed of having a college education and now I'm getting one!' she told me.

 

After class we walked to the student union building and shared a chocolate milkshake.

 

We became instant friends. Every day for the next three months we would leave class together and talk nonstop I was always mesmerized listening to this 'time machine' as she shared her wisdom and expe rience with me.

 

Over the course of the year, Rose became a campus icon and she easily made friends wherever she went.

 

She loved to dress up and she reveled in the attention bestowed upon her from the other students. She was living it up.

 

At the end of the semester we invited Rose to speak at our football banquet.

 

I'll never forget what she taught us. She was introduced and stepped up to the podium. As she began to deliver her prepared speech, she dropp ed her three by five cards on the floor.

 

Frustrated and a little embarrassed she leaned into the microphone and simply said, 'I'm sorry I'm so jittery. I gave up beer for Lent and this whiskey is killing me! I'll never get my speech back in order so let me just tell you what I know.'

 

As we laughed she cleared her throat and began, 'We do not stop playing because we are old; we grow old because we stop playing.

 

There are only four secrets to staying young, being happy, and achieving success. You have to laugh and find humor every day. You've got to have a dream. When you lose your dreams, you die..

 

We have so many people walking around who are dead and don't even know it!

 

There is a huge difference between growing older and growing up.

 

If you are nineteen years old and lie in bed for one full year and don't do one productive thing, you will turn twenty years old. If I am eighty-seven years old and stay in bed for a year and never do any thing I will turn eighty-eight.

 

Anybody can grow older. That doesn't take any talent or ability. The idea is to grow up by always finding opportunity in change. Have no regrets.

 

The elderly usually don't have regrets for what we did, but rather for things we did not do. The only people who fear death are those withregrets.'

 

She concluded her speech by courageously singing 'The Rose.'

 

She challenged each of us to study the lyrics and live them out in our daily lives.

 

At the year's end Rose finished the college degree she had begun all those years ago.

 

One week after graduation Rose died peacefully in her sleep.

 

Over two thousand college students attended her funeral in tribute to the wonderful woman who taught by example that

it's never too late to be all you can possibly be

[Bobbielynn 0]

How about Chicken Soup for the Soul books? They are short 2-3 page stories.

[themusiclady 1]

when I first came to Houston I was feeling somewhat jaded and wondering what to do next, I went to a writers' conference in Austin as a last-minute thing, it changed my life. There were women there over twice my age having a blast, and one woman spoke about publishing her first book- at age 80!

[lmocto 0]

Hi all! My name is Sarah & I'm an activities assistant at a retirement community, but I work mainly with residents in our Health Care facility. Most of them have very short attention spans and can not follow long stories. I was wondering if anyone knew the name of specific books or authors I could use for either a short story or poetry reading activity. I find that the humorous ones work the best at keeping their attention as long as it doesn't require much thinking. Unfortunately though I can't find many that I feel are suitable to seniors (as opposed to children). If anyone has any ideas I would definitely LOVE to hear them!!!

 

Thanks,

Sarah

[lmocto 0]

Try the "Chicken Soup" Series. They have short inspirational stories for different populations... grandparents, women, children, christians, etc.

[Jen 0]

I have had success with limiricks. They're short & funny. You can find info on the internet.

[reneep 0]

Have you ever tried the Chicken Soup Series? They have one for Seniors and just about every subject under the sun these days.

[Sheilag 0]

Shel Silverstein is very good for old and young and the book "The giving tree " was particularly good.

The books are short and seem to have a specific point to them. Have you ever tried having some middle school kids come and read to your residents? The students in advanced classes do well. And it always adds something special when teens or children interact with older adults. Everyone wins !