The Benefits of Storytelling for Older Americans

Barb Hemberger • June 12, 2023

You may not realize it but the simple act of telling stories, or storytelling, benefits healthy cognition for everyone, including older adults.


Good storytelling was once a survival skill and one that has been highly valued throughout history. Through the years, elders in our communities shared stories which fed society’s knowledge, history, and wisdom. Now, research suggests that seniors who tell stories actually benefit just as much as those who listen to them[1]. Research has found health benefits from storytelling include mental stimulation, improved memory, creativity, positive social connections, and increased activity among older adults.[2]


And as we recognize June as Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month, it’s good to know that studies have also found that both cognitive function and quality of life measures appear to improve with storytelling.


Storytelling, especially when part of a group, is a powerful way to increase happiness.[3] Researchers found that if someone is fortunate enough to grow into old age, taking part in a storytelling circle—one that provides a positive and accepting environment—may provide the basis for increased resilience (meaning, being able to withstand or to recover quickly from difficulties).


It seems then that the residents at Saint Therese of New Hope and Saint Therese at Oxbow Lake had the right (and great) idea when they formed storytelling groups in the senior communities years ago. They may not have known about the research, but they’ve benefited all the same.

Mary Ellen Bruski, a volunteer at New Hope, started the writing group in 2011. “I am not a writing teacher, but writing is part of who I am. And I wanted to encourage others to do the same,” she said.



The group at New Hope (in group photo above) is relatively small in numbers, five or six residents take part at most, but not in spirit. Most of the stories that are shared are those from the residents own lives. It has evolved from a “writing group” to what’s now called the “Writing & Storytelling Group.” The change was made because it became harder for participants to write longhand. And there also may have been a misconception that you had to be a good writer to participate.

“This group is for everyone who wants to tell stories. If writing is a hangup for someone, that’s fine, but we can all tell stories, all the days of our lives, said Mary Ellen.



Each month Mary Ellen chooses a topic for the monthly meeting. For instance, one topic was “what is on your bucket list?” The answers included visiting a brother-in-law in New Prague, attending a wedding in Madison, and becoming a pastoral minister.

Alice Ellison, a resident at Saint Therese at Oxbow Lake, started the writers’ group five years ago. She said she wanted to record some of her family history and thought others would as well. She received guidance from her daughter-in-law, Joanie Jarvis Ellison, a published Minnesota author, who twice met with the group to offer pointers on how to get started and how to encourage one another.



Alice said they usually have about seven people attend their meetings which often have a suggested topic, like “early school experiences” or “what do you remember about the Towers going down on 9/11.”

She talked about one resident who wrote about the history of a table that had been in the family for many years, a table that now is in her apartment at Oxbow Lake. The resident brought pictures of the table to the meeting, and eventually sent the story to other members of her family. Alice wrote about her brother who she’d lost at age 25 and also sent the story in a letter to her family.


Alice said she started the group because she realized everyone comes from different backgrounds and it was interesting to hear about the distinctions. For instance, how growing up on a farm was so different from growing up in the city.


Like New Hope, the Oxbow Lake group changed its name to the “Storytellers” because, said Alice, “residents thought we were teaching writing and it discouraged participation.”

Alice is so passionate about the stories written, and told, that she is gathering the stories, having volunteers help type them up, and has put them in a binder located in the Oxbow Lake library.



“I think it’s really valuable to preserve these stories,” said Alice. “It’s history and if we don’t write it down, it will be lost.”

[1] “The Effects of Storytelling on Cognition,” Better Aging, August 18, 2019.


[2] “Stimulating Creativity in All Elders, A Continuum of Interventions,” Care Management Journals, February 2004



[3] “The Effects of Storytelling on Happiness and Resilience in Older Adults,” SOPHIA, St. Catherine University, May 20, 2015.

< Older Post

Newer Post >

Stay Connected

Search All Posts

About

At Saint Therese, our heartfelt purpose since 1968 has been a people first approach to living well by providing senior care and services where every life we touch feels welcomed, respected, and heard. We achieve this by doing ordinary things with extraordinary love every single day. Contact us to learn more. 

How to Know When Your Aging Parent Needs More Care: Lessons from Local Experts

By Barb Hemberger • December 15, 2025
Many adult children quietly ask themselves the same question: How do I know when my aging parent needs more care? The answer is rarely simple and is often emotional.

Swallowing Problems (Dysphagia): Signs, Complications, and Treatment

December 8, 2025
By Kathryn Wamstad, M.S., CCC-SLP Did you know that speech therapists treat more than just your speech? They do indeed! In fact, one of the primary focuses of a Speech Language Pathologist in the geriatric setting is swallow therapy. Speech therapists treat swallowing difficulty because the same muscles and nerves used for talking are used for chewing and swallowing. Swallowing difficulty is called dysphagia. It can occur because of a stroke, brain injury, cancer, neurological disease like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s, surgery involving the neck, and other aging related complications. Dysphagia can lead to reduced quality of life with eating/drinking, malnutrition, dehydration, and pneumonia as a result of aspiration. Aspiration is when food or drink is accidently inhaled down into the airway/ lungs. What Are Symptoms of Dysphagia? Facial droop, drooling, losing food and liquid out of the mouth and lips Difficulty chewing and controlling the food and liquids from the front to the back of the mouth, and food left in the mouth after you swallow Throat clearing, coughing or choking right after a bite or drink Feeling food or drink “go down the wrong tube” or get stuck in your throat Wet/gurgly voice quality, watery eyes, and runny nose while eating Feeling like food is stuck in your chest, sensation that food takes a while to go down, heart burn, or food coming back up (regurgitation) Weight loss, malnutrition or dehydration because of difficulty eating, extra time and effort required to eat, and frequent occurrences of aspiration pneumonia Assessment of Dysphagia Speech therapists assess swallowing difficulty by asking questions and observing you eat and drink to see if the above symptoms are noted. If symptoms of swallowing difficulty are reported or observed, it is recommended that you participate in a Video Fluoroscopic Swallow Study. This is an x-ray video of the swallow that allows us to see how the internal structures of your throat are working to determine the cause of your swallowing difficulty, for creation of a treatment plan.

A Quiet Hero at Woodbury: Honoring Navy Veteran John Thuente This Veterans Day

By Barb Hemberger • November 11, 2025
At Saint Therese of Woodbury , stories of courage and compassion often live quietly among us — tucked behind gentle smiles, modest gestures and humble words. This Veterans Day, we honor one such story: that of John Thuente , a Navy veteran whose service in Vietnam revealed not only bravery in the skies but deep humanity that continues to inspire. A Minnesotan’s Call to Serve John grew up in St. Paul, fascinated by airplanes and determined to fly. Following his father’s example of service, he entered the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis and graduated in 1964. After flight school in California, he was stationed aboard the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (image below) as a navigator and weapons officer, flying F-4 Phantom jets over North Vietnam.