Creating and Sharing Companion Poems for People living with Dementia, a Design Journey

This article describes ongoing research that is investigating ways in which poetic writing can be developed into a resource to support the well-being of people living with dementia and their carers. The Companion Poems audiobook project involves the co-creation of sensory poetry books for people living with dementia. The project brings together the team’s expertise in poetic writing, design for dementia and interactive digital technology to create tactile audio poetry books. The rationale for the work, the research methodology and the creative methods used are described through an account of one Companion Poem: ‘How the Garden Grows’ and its development into a bespoke sensory audiobook.