Rhyming fun a hit at Davers Court

The team invited pupils from King Edward VI School and local poet, Alan Askew, to join in the celebrations. Both the children and Alan shared some of their favourite rhymes with the residents and Alan even wrote a commemorative poem about the day to thank the team and residents for allowing him to share the day with them.

To further mark the celebrations, Davers Court residents also put pen to paper to create their own work. The poems, many of which were written by residents living with dementia, cover a variety of topics, from love poems to childhood memories. The work is now being compiled by the care home into a commemorative booklet which will be available for friends, families and residents.

Home manager, Wendy Harvey, said: “Our World Poetry Day celebration is a great example of how activity based care at Davers Court supports residents to continue enjoying their passions and hobbies. It is remarkable to see how reading poetry aloud can really bring people together and put a smile on the faces of everyone.

“For older people living with dementia, somebody reading aloud to them – whether it be a poem or short story – can have many therapeutic benefits due to its calming nature. We had a wonderful time celebrating all things poetry with the people of Bury St Edmunds and would like to say a big thank you to Alan Askew for making the day extra special.”