Reading is a popular hobby, and one that can be enjoyed at any stage in life. Sometimes, however, the challenge can be deciding what book to read next. Setting up a book club in your care home can help introduce people to brand new titles that they may not have heard of, or ever picked up to read without the incentive of joining in a future discussion about it. Read on to find out just how simple it can be to set up a thriving book club in your care home, and why it can bring a raft of benefits to everyone involved.
Why set up a book club?
As well as introducing people to new authors and stories, a book club can also provide some welcome company for those who may want to expand their social circle and get to know their fellow residents better. It can also expand the mind, with exposure to new ideas, topics and areas of interest. A book club can be an excuse to crack open the tea and snacks and include some social chatter in amongst the discussion. This can help people get to know each other better too. It is the ideal pastime for the approaching autumn months, as meetings can take place anywhere – inside or outdoors.
Planning the club
New groups and activities often work best when there has been plenty of involvement from interested parties in the early planning and setting-up stages. Rather than telling people when the club will be and what books are going to be discussed, invite opinions and ideas first. Is there a time or day of the week that people prefer to meet? What genres of books would be the most interesting to people, and how should discussions take place. Perhaps people would like someone to lead proceedings. Or maybe a free-flowing discussion sounds more appealing. Hold an initial planning meeting to talk about these things and take notes so that you know how to move on to the next stages of actually getting the group started.
Finding resources
Of course, you are going to need a good supply of reading materials for a book club to work. The best thing is to have enough copies of the chosen book for everyone to have their own – sharing can be complicated and could affect people’s ability to finish reading in time and mull it all over. You could approach local libraries to see if they are getting rid of multiple copies of books. Browse charity shops too, as these often carry large book stocks. You may also need to find some large-print versions for people who are visually impaired.
Check in on people’s progress
Once the first books have been sourced and given to people to read, don’t just leave them to it. Check in regularly to make sure that people don’t forget to read, or are worried about anything. Perhaps you could arrange for parts of the book to be read aloud if anyone is finding it hard to finish reading by themselves. Give people some pointers about the types of questions and topics that are going to be discussed at the club meetings, so they can take notes on the relevant sections and themes in the book as they are going along.
Theme the meetings
If the book lends itself to a theme, go all out with it, with snacks from the correct region, for example, or posters and props dotted around the room. This will help people get in the mood and enjoy a wider experience that ties in with the book. Perhaps ask people to bring along their own contributions – fancy dress, other books around the same theme or photos. Perhaps add an appropriate craft activity, such as making a book mark or reading glasses chain for an extra thing to do before or after the main discussion. See if there a film or TV show has been made of the book and arrange a time to watch that together before or after the meeting.
Respect each other
Discuss and agree on some ground rules first, namely that everyone must be allowed to contribute (or just listen if they prefer) and have their thoughts and opinions respected. Controversial topics and opinions should be handled with care to avoid disrupting proceedings or upsetting the members of the new book club. This is why having a discussion leader can be a highly valuable asset to keep the group on track. Potentially shocking or upsetting language or content in the chosen book should always be flagged up in advance to avoid causing offence or distress.
