The Transformative Power of Music in Care Homes: How Music Enriches Life at We Care Group

At We Care Group, we are committed to ensuring that  each resident living in one of our care homes has the opportunity to continue to live well, experiencing comfort, and a sense of belonging and purpose every day.  As part of our wide-ranging activity and engagement programmes, music plays a central role in supporting our residents to live well.

Understanding dementia

Dementia is the word used to describe many different diseases and their effects on brain health. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia, but the term covers more than a hundred diseases, most of them very rare. Just as every person is unique, the way that dementia affects an individual is unique as well. For many years it was assumed that when a person with dementia experienced a period of distress, that this was an inevitable symptom of dementia that could only be treated with mood altering or behaviour modifying medication, most of which have significant and often unpleasant side effects. We now understand that non-pharmacological approaches to supporting a person with dementia who is experiencing distress can be equally helpful.

The power of music to support wellbeing

Utilising music as a therapeutic intervention has become a well-recognised approach for supporting older people both with and without dementia. At We Care Group, we incorporate music into the daily lives of our residents in many different ways. Our online activity and engagement platform Oomph! on demand offers a wide range of music based activities and opportunities for group and individual engagement. The impact of music on a persons quality of life can be profound, with research acknowledging its value as a virtually side-effect free alternative to antipsychotic medication in having the potential to improve  mental, emotional, and physical wellbeing [ref. World Health Organisation (WHO) Arts and Dementia Report 2019].

How music enhances wellbeing

For may people, listening to favourite pieces of genres of music can relieve feelings of anxiety, bringing feelings of happiness and a sense of calm. Familiar music can also generate memories and provide opportunities to reminisce about previous experiences and happy times.

For residents in care homes, many who may have cognitive difficulties or memory problems, music is a failure free way of engaging, meaning that there is no additional stress created for the person trying to connect with their world. Research also shows that music can reach many different parts of the brain in ways that other approaches may not, and can help people to regain connections with others, including loved ones that may have become lost or disjointed due to illness or infirmity.

Music in care homes

An increasing number of care homes in the UK have engaged with local ‘singing for the brain’ and similar community choirs to enhance residents’ wellbeing. Other care homes may choose to establish their own choirs, which can be of particular benefit for those residents who prefer to remain in the home. This can promote a real sense of community and peer connection, enabling friendships and bonds to develop.

For some residents, particularly those with dementia, group engagement can be challenging, and individual opportunities for engaging with music is more appropriate.

An increasing number of We Care Group care homes are engaging with a fantastic charity called Purple Angel Dementia Awareness campaign, which offers bespoke MP3 players loaded with personalised playlists to people with dementia across the UK. These provide the opportunity for people who otherwise may find it difficult to access music using conventional resources to engage with music in meaningful and positive ways.

As Jo Crossland, We Care Group’s Quality Director observes, “Music has the potential to transform lives – it has proven benefits to enhance quality of life and help our residents to rediscover themselves and connect with others. It’s not just about therapy; it’s about living well and feeling great.”

At We Care Group, we’re proud to make music a key part of life in our homes, bringing its transformative power to everyone we care for.