Poetry With People With Dementia: An Evaluation of a Two Year Project Engaging in Poetry Activities With Older People in Residential and Nursing Homes.

This paper is a summary of an evaluation of the first two
years of a three year poetry project for older people with
dementia. The project was set up with a poet in residence
who mentored six poets to deliver poetry activities to older
people and those with dementia in residential and care
homes in Herefordshire.
The project was developed and run by the Courtyards
Hereford. The evaluation was undertake through the
use of questionnaires that were given to staff and carers
undertaking training workshops and the poets, staff and
carers in the homes who facilitated the activities and finally
by the residents who took part in the project.
The main findings were that participants that responded
to the questionnaire for staff and carers it had increased
confidence and assisted them in gaining more knowledge
about the residents, whilst for residents it had a number
of positive effects including enhanced communication,
increased self-esteem and enhanced self-worth whilst
making them feel less isolated.