Poetry and Dementia
How poetry can help during memory decline
I’ve been writing poetry for quite some time now.
Since about 2003, I’ve been running an online poetry forum. It’s a place that has shown me first-hand how poetry can be a soothing balm for the soul — seriously healing stuff. People find it easier to share feelings through verses that they might struggle to say out loud. It’s pretty cool (and important)!
Over the years, on my own time, I’ve got to help out in care homes and hospices with poetry workshops. They really value this as it comforts residents & often brightens their outlooks too.
You know, poetry is really powerful when it comes to exploring what it means to be human — especially when facing something tough like cognitive decline. It opens a space where folks can express deep emotions and delve into things like memory and identity and how these impact individuals & their families.
Here are a couple of ways poetry helps:
- Raising awareness: Poems highlight the real-life experiences of those with cognitive decline, which boosts empathy & understanding in others.
- Exploring emotions: Whether it’s pain or frustration, writing or reading poetry can help release these emotions, helping both the writer & reader deal better with them.
- Encouraging introspection: Poems make readers think about their own feelings and experiences, deepening understanding of the human experience.
- Supporting caregivers: It also gives a venting ground for caregivers to express and navigate their own emotional journeys.
- Promoting empathy & connection: Sharing through poetry can foster empathy & pave the way for a more compassionate society that supports individuals experiencing cognitive decline better.
That’s not all. There is more on how using poems helps those facing cognitive struggles:
- Cathartic expression & emotional relief: It’s crucial for emotional processing especially when mental abilities are on the decline — Makes understanding personal experiences easier & coping becomes a bit manageable.
- Perspective-taking: By stepping into various scenarios through poetry, one builds empathy — which is valuable for everyone involved.
- Cognitive stimulation: Engaging with poems keeps the brain buzzing — important for slowing down disease progression in individuals experiencing cognitive challenges.
- Social bits: Workshops and group sessions foster bonding & reduce loneliness which is common in seniors dealing with such declines.
Here are some actual interventions shown to work wonders with poetry:
- TimeSlips: This activity uses images to kickstart storytelling among those with moderate to advanced dementia.
- Alzheimer’s Poetry Project (APP): Here people participate by repeating lines and improvising poems — great for creative expression & socializing.
- Writing Poetry for Dementia Patients: Combining this with other artsy stuff like dance works great too!
- Healing Words Study: Looks at how cultural arts using poetry help improve engagement among dementia patients.
- Arts Therapy Research: Points out benefits across attention engagement, pleasure from activities, and easing symptoms like anxiety.
The takeaway? Poetry isn’t just about rhymes; it’s a robust tool against cognitive decline. Whether you’re an artist or caregiver, there’s something poetic for you!
For more insights:
Healing words: A study of poetry interventions in dementia care — PubMed (nih.gov)
The benefits of poetry on dementia — Hidden Literature
Recommended Reads: Poetry and Dementia — The Reader
There we go, a little chat about how mighty words can be more than just lines on paper; they’re bridges spanning across isolations caused by declining mental faculties.
