I believe very strongly that reading enhances the lives of the elderly. My goal is to help you see why this matters so much and how significant this time together with your loved one can be. I first started this about 3 years ago when my father had a stroke. Around that time, his mobility began to decline. This created a slow transition of adjusting to reduced mobility and other needs for assistance. With the diagnosis of Atypical Parkinson's, specifically Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP), I realized that my father's condition would likely not improve and unfortunately would continue to progress over time. As months passed, his activity level decreased and became limited to using the stationary bike, going for drives (as a passenger), and spending most of his time sitting in his chair. Despite his gradual decline in mobility and his mounting limitations, my dad’s mind remained sharp (at least most of the time) and we continued to share many special moments. During this time, usually in my parents' home or even in a rehab center (when he fell and broke his hip), I began checking out books from the public library for my father on all of his favorite topics. First, I would read the books myself (I love to read and it gave me a chance to gauge if a book was good enough for him to read) and then decide on a few great ones to take for him.  For about the first year, as I began bringing books over when I visited my father (about 3 or 4 times per week), I would take books out of my bag, show him the books, introduce each one with a brief overview, and let him pick the ones he wanted. Then, the next time I came, we would talk about the book(s) and share our thoughts on them. There was something very special and unique about this process. It  connected us. It livened things up. It kept our minds working in a good way. I knew we were on to something!