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. 

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.

Full Circle: A Serendipitous Reunion at Saint Therese of Oxbow Lake

By Barb Hemberger • October 29, 2025
At Saint Therese of Oxbow Lake, an unexpected connection between an educator and a priest reveals how kindness endures across generations

Love Finds Its Way at Oxbow Lake – Again

By Barb Hemberger • October 14, 2025
It’s not every day that you get to say there’s something in the water at Saint Therese of Oxbow Lake , but maybe there is. Because once again, love has bloomed among its residents. This July, two familiar faces said, “I do,” marking the second time in just a few years that neighbors became newlyweds within this Brooklyn Park community. The first resident couple to marry at Oxbow Lake exchanged vows a few years ago, setting a joyful precedent. And now, Frank Barry and Nancy Cullen have joined their ranks — proving that companionship and joy don’t fade with time; they simply take new forms. Finding Each Other at Home Both Frank and Nancy had lived full lives before moving to Oxbow Lake. Each had lost a beloved spouse — Frank’s wife, Julie, passed away in January 2024, and Nancy’s husband several years before. When Nancy moved into the community two years ago, and Frank three, neither imagined that life here might lead to a new marriage. But as Oxbow Lake Executive Director Christine DeLander put it, “People come from all walks of life and they meet a companion here. The sense of community is strong. Residents take it upon themselves to socialize; every floor hosts its own weekly get-together, and once a month we bring everyone together for an independent living social. It’s very resident-driven.” A Dance, a Smile, and a Second Chance Their story actually began some time ago, when Frank’s late wife, Julie, introduced him to Nancy. The two only crossed paths briefly then, but life found a way for them to reconnect. After Julie passed away, Frank admits he struggled to adjust. “When Julie died, I fell apart,” he recalled. “One of my friends kept saying, ‘Get over yourself and find a date for the senior prom!’” (The Senior Prom was a big event Oxbow Lake held each year.) Eventually, he took that advice and asked Nancy. “She was in a cast, and we still danced,” he said. It was an easy, lighthearted evening that marked the beginning of a comfortable companionship, something steady and kind that simply fit.