What helped members feel at home when the Wednesday Group returned after a longer-than-expected Christmas break? It was not everyone’s smiling faces; they all wore masks! It was familiar music. You could almost feel the atmosphere change as regular pianist, Frank, began to play.
Music has been shown to have a similar effect in care homes too. People who never normally spoke could sing along and remember all the words. Music helps people connect with their past experiences, reviving the emotions they felt when first hearing it and enabling them to share those feelings with others.
An idea that’s been in circulation for some time among carers of people with dementia is to prepare a list of music that is important to the person concerned: music that has a special significance, the pop songs they danced to in their youth, or anything they particularly enjoyed. Record the music and it’s there to be enjoyed when needed. It’s been found to be particularly valuable when spoken language has been lost in that it improves mood, reduces difficult behaviour and reduces the need for medication.
Help to get started is free and can be found at www.playlistforlife.org.uk. Its founder is broadcaster Sally Magnusson, whose mother had dementia. Her book about her mother’s illness, ‘Where Memories Go’, is well worth reading.
For information about the Wednesday (Memory) Group, please contact Jan on 01777 709774 or 07969 180067 or email janwilliamson133@gmail.com.