Activities
How music therapy can improve quality of life
Ming Hung Hsu, chief music therapist at MHA, explains how music therapy can help carers manage the symptoms of dementia, helping to regulate the emotions, reducing anxiety and creating a relaxed environment for those who are affected and those around them
It is no secret that the number of people living with dementia in the UK is on the rise. There are currently 850,000 people living with dementia and by 2025 this number is expected to rise to over one million. Every three minutes someone receives a dementia diagnosis,1
and this
year dementia overtook heart disease as the leading cause of death in England and Wales, predominantly in women.2
It is
worth noting that about 70 per cent of people in care homes have dementia or severe memory problems.
Most people associate dementia with memory loss, but the condition affects individuals in a wide variety of ways. This might include changes in behaviour, confusion and disorientation, delusions and hallucinations, difficulty
communicating, problems judging speed and distance and even cravings for particular foods. These issues are caused by a group of non-cognitive symptoms known as the neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) of dementia, which include agitation, apathy, aberrant motor behaviour, psychosis and mood and emotional disorders, such as depression and anxiety. However, everyone’s experience of dementia is different. Unsurprisingly, the prevalence of these symptoms is high in nursing homes; over 90 per cent of care home residents have been reported to be affected by NPS, with agitation being the most common symptom. A resident’s mood has a major impact on their quality of life, and also impacts on the quality of life of the people around them. It is well documented that dementia is one of the hardest conditions to manage within a care home environment and is often a major source of frustration to both the person living with dementia and care home staff. The care home environment can have a huge impact, and simple changes can have a positive effect on a person living with dementia, improving their emotional wellbeing and
40
independence. Although these changes can be simple, it is often difficult for staff to identify the root cause of problems, such as loud noises and bright lights, which can lead to agitation. This is where music therapy can help.
Music therapy
Music therapy is an established psychological clinical intervention that is delivered by music therapists registered by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC), all of whom have a Master’s degree in music therapy. The overarching concept is to regulate a resident’s emotions through music. Music has been shown to activate neurones in more regions of the brain
than anything else. In fact, research shows that despite the deterioration of cognitive functioning, people with dementia retain the ability to appreciate and make music until they are in the latter stages of the condition. The concept of music altering mood is not a new one. Many of us have seen and been uplifted by an online video showing the heart warming moment when a 79 year old man with Alzheimer’s sings his heart out with his son as they drive around Blackburn.
However, it is vital to understand the difference between a sing-along (as important as this is) and music therapy. During music therapy sessions, trained therapists directly interact with residents
Therapists directly interact with patients while observing, assessing their state of mind and playing music to match it
www.thecarehomeenvironment .com • May 2017
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44