I'm a hospice volunteer and I just got assigned to my very first lady! She's super sweet, but has minimal communication skills... She's also a Jehovah's witness. Obviously we can't color christmas cards or any holiday things. And I want to read to her or listen to music or watch movies, but I'm worried what I'll pick out won't be what she wants to do. Any suggestions on what to do?

Use visual aids like puppets or a flannel board to tell easy, short stories (or make them up). She would like Old Testament Bible stories, so visit a store that carries Bible characterers as puppets or in flannel. Use those as ideas to make your own.

Play "program" music -- Grand Canyon Suite by Grofe or Peer Gynt Suite by Grieg or short classical pieces that evoke a mental picture and then talk to her about what you hear. Your library's reference desk will give you many ideas for music of this type and will obtain CDs for you from other libraries (if that library doesn't own them).

Tell the librarian about this volunteer job. I'm sure the library has more ideas.