Mommy, Will Granny’s New Friends Act Different?’ New Children’s Book Helps Youngsters Understand Aging Process

Assisted living facilities are inexplicably intimidating places for many children. According to registered nurse and mother of four Alison Cothran, a lack of education concerning the aging process is often to blame for a youngster’s misplaced fear.
In the new children’s book, Carlyn Meets Granny Girl’s New Friends, Cothran, who owns and operates an assisted living facility in Arkansas, answers frequently asked questions about the aging process and by doing so, teaches kids that assisted living facilities aren’t scary after all.
In fact, Cothran says, it can be a lot of fun to make multigenerational friends.

“Many children exhibit tense body language and fearful facial expressions on their first visit,” says Cothran. “I wrote this book to educate children, parents and teachers about the wealth of enriching experiences to be found in the elderly population.”
Through colorful illustrations and easy-to-read dialogue, the book explains common medical equipment used by the elderly such as wheelchairs, gait belts and oxygen tanks and talks about common ailments such as Parkinson’s disease, kyphosis and Alzheimer’s in kid-friendly, easy- to-understand language.
Carlyn Meets Granny Girl’s New Friends
By Alison Cothran
ISBN: 978-1-4627-2006-4
Approx. 37 pages
Paperback 6x9
Retail price: $17.95
E-book price: $3.99
Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble
About the author
Alison Weld Cothran, RNP, MSN, co-owns an assisted living center in Arkansas, where she has served as administrator since 1998. Alison, her husband and four children live within the assisted living community and have daily interactions with many of the 100 residents. Her inspiration for writing the book came from firsthand experience with educating youngsters who were initially unfamiliar, and thus uncomfortable, with the aging process.