Tiltwood's rhyming residents runners-up in poetry competition

Home news

Feb 11, 2019

Residents at Tiltwood have been awarded the runners-up prize as part of Care UK’s nationwide poetry competition.

Care UK’s initiative, in conjunction with National Poetry Day, encourages residents to get their creative juices flowing by putting pen to paper to write their very own short verses and poems. To mark the day, residents at Tiltwood searched local libraries to find their favourite poems, held poetry reading performances, and participated in poetry writing sessions to get their creative juices flowing. 

‘Childhood’, a collaborative poem penned by Tiltwood residents Joyce Warner, May Marsh, Pat Reddey, Audrey Smith, Penny Richards and Barbara Faulkner, along with Fenella James, lifestyle coordinator at Tiltwood, and their family members. The poem was selected as a runner-up from more than 100 Care UK homes across the country. 

The reminiscence poem explores memories of childhood in the 1940s, and brings back nostalgic feelings with historical references such as women washing clothes with mangles and scrubbing boards, and the Ovaltine radio advert that featured the ‘Ovaltineys’. The judges praised the Tiltwood residents’ writing skills for bringing back wonderful childhood memories.

Kristina Jacunskiene, home manager at Tiltwood, said: “We’re so proud of the residents for being recognised for their beautifully written poetry - it goes without saying that we have some natural poets here at Tiltwood! To be awarded the runner-up prize in Care UK’s nationwide poetry competition is a huge achievement, and it means the world to the residents and all the team members involved.

“Poetry is a fantastic way to help residents living dementia relive and share memories with friends and family. Research has shown the poems help residents engage and maintain connections as dementia progresses. National Poetry Day is a fantastic annual event that we will continue to support, and it’s a great way to bring people together. Our recent success shows just how much the residents and team members enjoyed developing these thoughtful poems, and it has encouraged us to enjoy poetry throughout the year. We hope this can inspire people caring for an older loved one to do the same.”