Bupa care home residents have a tale-to-tell

Bupa resident Charles Thomas (89), with Laura Hardaker and Katie Clark

January 2012

Residents in over 300 Bupa care homes across the UK are all set to tell-a-tale or two as part of plans to mark National Storytelling Week (28 January - 4 February 2012).

Celebrated each year, National Storytelling Week aims to increase awareness of the value of sharing stories.

The care homes are hosting special storytelling events throughout the week and are inviting members of the local community along to help revive the lost art of storytelling.

Laura Hardaker, Bupa's community affairs assistant said,

 "A good read is such a valuable activity, no matter what age you are, because it inspires imaginations and brings other worlds to life. Especially for our residents, storytelling can bring back lots of childhood memories and really helps to capture these happy moments."

To help mark National Storytelling Week Bupa has also launched a special poetry and short story competition to help residents share their memories.

Supporting Bupa's plans is The Reader's Organisation, a charity that brings people together for 'read aloud' sessions and which promotes the link between reading and wellbeing.

Amongst the stories and poems being shared, residents and visitors will also be able to read from "Poems to Take Home", a collection of poems for reading out loud which have been specially chosen by members of the charity's Get Into Reading groups.

Katie Clark, older people's project manager for The Reader Organisation, commented on the plans and the benefits for older people.

"The link between reading aloud and wellbeing has been well researched, and storytelling can be very therapeutic for older people.

"It's very fitting that Bupa's care homes have tied their activities in with National Storytelling Week to promote the benefits of reading and joining in storytelling - we hope as many people as possible will get involved." 

Client: Bupa Care Homes