Listen to music with other people to help residents sustain relationships with them

• Video Description

  This was recorded at Eden Court Care Home, Battersea, South London (Cinnamon Group).

  This video gives examples of family members engaging with their older parents through listening and joining in with familiar songs; memories are shared and lyrics recalled. It also shows interactions between care home residents and visitors; the music establishes a rapport between them, even when they are relative strangers. We see residents and visitors singing Christmas carols together, which can be so powerful in awakening memories and their associated emotions.

• Strategies

  • Play familiar music associated with family members and friends before visits

  • Ensure that residents keep listening to music together, even when their dementia is advanced, as this is one of the few social activities that will continue to be possible

  • Use in-person and online music sessions to sustain relationships with family and friends as residents’ dementias become more severe

  • Keep a careful note of any pieces of music that appear to have a particular impact, whether positive or negative, for future reference