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Eight poems on dementia

A dementia diagnosis or arranging dementia care can be a tough moment to comprehend. Among the confusion and worry that these situations can bring, writing poetry can be a great release. This National Poetry Day, we thought it would be the perfect opportunity to share some examples of verse exploring the impact of dementia on those living with it, and their loved ones.

If you’d like to share your voice with us, please email your poem on dementia to media@elder.org. There’s no right or wrong way to start. Grab a pen and paper, or your laptop, and write what you feel. It doesn’t have to rhyme. It can be whatever you want it to be. The act of writing it can be a deeply cleansing process, and the act of sharing it can inspire others to do the same.

Have a poem about dementia?

If you use poetry as a way of coming to terms with dementia, whether a diagnosis for yourself or a loved one, we’d love to hear from you. Sharing it with others has Simply email any of your ideas to media@elder.org,

Read customer stories

Every family we help is unique. For each, there are different triggers that finally motivate them to give us a call. Here are some of their stories:

Joanne’s story – care to support mild dementia

Joanne’s story – care that keeps Mum in her dancing shoes Joanne and her mum, Patricia, have been with Elder since 2017. Patricia has mild dementia, but that doesn’t stop…

Wendy’s story – moving from hourly care

Wendy’s story – moving from hourly care Mum has been disabled for a few years now. She used to have hourly care visits, but last summer she sadly fell and…

Jim’s story – care after hospital discharge

Jim’s story – care after hospital discharge Helen and her dad, Jim (92), have been with Elder since May 2020. Tabayi or ‘Tabby’ is their primary carer. Helen’s sister Ruth…

Sue’s story – care for a WW2 veteran

Sue’s story – care for a WW2 veteran My mother is an amazing woman. She is very quick-witted and has lived a full life, even having a stint as a…

Jill’s story – personalised dementia care

Jill’s story – personalised dementia care Jill has been with Elder since Jan 2020, care is for her mum (Peggy) who is 97 with dementia. Jennifer is their primary carer. …

Jan’s story – care for an elderly couple

Jan’s story – care for an elderly couple Jan has been with Elder since 2017, care is for her mum (Jean) and dad (Fred). Jean and Frederick are in their…

Ian’s story – live-in care advised by local council

Ian’s Story – live-in care advised by local council It started with Dad’s health deteriorating, followed by a hospital visit. At that point, we already had morning and evening visits…

Read information and advice

Information and advice

Caring for a loved one

Are you looking after a loved one? We’ve used our experience of helping families to produce this detailed guide on best practices for caregivers.

Information and advice

Preparing for care

Yet to decide which care option is best for you? In this guide, we run through the most popular types of care. Comparing live-in care to the care home.

Information and advice

Living well with dementia

In this guide, Beth Britton – an award-winning dementia campaigner provides you with the essential information and practical tips you need to live well with dementia.

Information and advice

Staying active and mobile

In this guide, we’ll take a look at the sorts of mobility issues you might expect to arise, explore the importance of diet and how you can improve loved one’s lifestyle right away.

Information and advice

Getting out and about in later life

A healthier, more fulfilling life begins the moment you step outside. That can be trickier as you get older. Here’s our top advice on making sure you can get out and about.

Paying for care