A poetry program for the very elderly—Narrative perspective on one therapeutic model

The focus of this report is a poetry program that the author has been conducting at a nursing home/short-stay rehabilitation facility for the past three and a half years. The program involves reading poetry to groups of very elderly residents who have significant mental and/or physical disabilities. This article includes a description of the program and the author's observations of its beneficial effects. Poetry readings were also given to individual seniors who have significant dementia. The therapeutic value of the program to the elders and to the person reading the poetry to the elders is discussed.