Residents At Local Care Home Unleash Their Inner Poet
Residents at Aden Court care home in Huddersfield have been sharing their favourite poems during a monthly poetry society meeting.
Set up by resident Brian Steele, the society has proved to be very popular with residents, with many using the opportunity to reminisce and recite poems from their childhood.
The society is currently reviewing their favourite poems, with each resident given the opportunity to score poems read out during the session. The highest ranked poems are being collated and will be made into a book of residents all-time favourite poems.
Poems already selected by residents to be included in the book include Daffodils by William Wordsworth, The Owl and the Pussycat by Edward Lear, and Flanders Fields by John McCrae.
Residents have also been encouraged to exercise their imagination, writing their own original poems. The poetry created by residents will also be compiled into a separate book for residents and their family members to enjoy.
As an effective alternative intervention for people living with dementia, reciting poetry has been found to aid reminiscence for dementia sufferers. Listening to much loved poems helps to bring back happy memories, and have a calming effect by providing each individual with an accessible outlet for their creativity.
Maddie Simpson, Activities Coordinator at Aden Court Care Home, commented:
“The poetry society has proved enormously popular with residents and has become an indispensable part of the activities programme at Aden Court. The large number of poems residents can recall word for word from childhood has been truly amazing!
“We look forward to continuing to expand the programme and supporting residents complete the poetry book of their favourite poems.”