Applying the Montessori method in elderly contexts means going beyond the idea that Montessori is only about the materials and how a space is set up, or a well-arranged box or the manipulation of wooden objects. Above all, it means entering and knowing how to relate, in the ways that the stories tell. The volume Montessori stories for frail elderly people promotes and enhances the experiences of elderly people with great welcome and respect.

“Observation is the transversal element of each story and becomes the gaze of those who wait, of those who understand, nourish, prepare, facilitate, correct, question, share and, at the same time, live, try their hand, express, reinvent and commit.”

Montessori stories for frail elderly people presents 16 illustrated stories resulting from narrations that the author has had the opportunity to listen to during her working years with old people.

The stories are intended as a guide which, in addition to bringing to light what the frail elderly person experiences, help better understand the manifestations and behaviours associated with dementia and loneliness. The stories can be read independently by the elderly person, or together with an operator or a family member with the aim of learning to manage the dynamics that occur with greater awareness.

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For each story there are:

The principles that inspired the story

An illustration of the story

The 7 Montessori principles underlying the stories:

1. Freedom of choice and autonomy
2. Taking care of oneself
3. Organization and passing of time
4. Practical life activities
5. Precision and manual skills
6. Caring for living things
7. Getting dressed independently

This guide also invites you to reflect on how to intervene on a relational level and on daily needs.

Read an extract from the book, which has been translated into English to facilitate your evaluation:

Other titles on the Montessori Method applied to frail elderly people

The Montessori Method and the frail elderly

Principles and methods for improving well-being and autonomy

Federica Taddia, Ruggero Poi, Annalisa Perino

Thanks to the contributions of specialists, this volume explores the Montessori method applied to frail elderly people, proposing numerous examples of activities that can be easily set up in different contexts (in CRAs, Day Centers, in hospitals or at home).

The volume is divided into 3 parts:

• the first part explores the essential principles of the Montessori method;
• the second part focuses on designing a Montessori space;
• the third part illustrates the means of applicationof the method in the various contexts reserved for the elderly.

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The Author

Federica Taddia is an expert in the pedagogy of the elderly, a trainer in health and social field and an adjunct professor at the University of Bologna, where she conducts laboratories on non-drug therapies.

Find out all of Erickson’s publications on the Montessori Method