Keeping busy

I am trying to find more activities for my mom as I have found that the more she is busy the better she is. She has a mass and a lunch at our church today, is a get together for a group of seniors. We are also considering joining the Y and they also have a group of seniors that have some planned activities. One of the problems I am finding is she is easily distracted so even though I got her some good books she will start reading them but then drift off and start thinking about her situation and gets down sometimes. I have tried to get her to read the book by Paul McKenna, How to Change your Life in 7 Days, as it reinforces the power of positive thinking, but so far she starts but does not continue; will keep trying. One thing I am still having a hard time with is controlling what I say to her, sometimes what I think is an innocent comment turns in her mind into a huge ordeal, like the other day I told her she forgot to wear her hearing aid and that turned into a huge ordeal, things that before would have been a simple comment she now sees as a big reproach.