Dementia and music therapy: Benefits and how it helps

Music can play an important role in the lives of people living with dementia, helping to bring back memories, improve mood and create moments of connection with family and friends.

Even when dementia makes communication difficult, familiar songs can provide comfort, reduce anxiety and encourage people to engage with those around them.

Music therapy is increasingly used in care homes to support people living with dementia. This guide explains what music therapy is, how it can help and how care homes use music to improve residents’ wellbeing and quality of life.

What is music therapy for dementia?

Music therapy uses music to support a person’s emotional, psychological and social wellbeing. For people living with dementia, it can provide a way to communicate, express feelings and connect with others, even when finding the right words becomes difficult.

Professional music therapy is delivered by a qualified, registered music therapist who tailors sessions to a person’s individual needs and abilities.

Sessions may involve listening to music, singing, playing instruments or creating music together. People don’t need any musical experience to take part.

Music therapy is different from everyday musical activities, such as listening to the radio or joining a care home singalong. However, these activities can also have benefits for people living with dementia.

Benefits of music therapy for people with dementia

It’s no coincidence that you can remember the lyrics of songs sung in your childhood, even if you haven’t heard them for years and years,  but not recall details about the last few days. Studies show that the brain remembers music far more effectively than any other information that we receive through our senses, particularly if it’s been sung.

Neil Utley from The Utley Foundation, a charity that is campaigning to give every person in the UK with dementia access to music, said: “Music is not a ‘nice add-on’, it has tangible, evidence-based benefits and reaches out beyond the home to the care sector, hospitals, hospices and across the wider community.

“People with dementia often live in a silent world. Yet music can bring a person back to life. The ability to connect to music is an innate aspect of being human; having a diagnosis of dementia need not undermine this.”

1. Improve mood and emotional wellbeing

Music can be uplifting, comforting and relaxing. Listening to a favourite song may help someone with dementia feel happier or more settled, particularly during a difficult day.

Research also suggests that structured music-based therapy can help reduce symptoms of depression in people living with dementia.

A 2025 Cochrane review of 30 studies involving 1,720 people found that music-based therapeutic interventions probably improve depressive symptoms compared with usual care. However, the evidence for reducing anxiety was less certain.

The benefits can also be felt in the moment. Someone may not remember taking part in a singing session afterwards, but they can still enjoy the experience.

Diana Kerr, author of Singing Groups for People with Dementia, says: “Singing makes us happy; even if the person with dementia forgets that they were singing soon after the event, this does not negate its worth as they still feel good even if they cannot remember why. People with dementia live much in the moment so we should be trying to make as many good moments as possible.”

2. Bring back memories

Have you ever heard a song you haven’t listened to for years and immediately remembered a particular person, place or moment in your life?

Music can have the same effect on people living with dementia.

Familiar songs, particularly those associated with important life events, may trigger memories that are otherwise difficult to recall.

For example, a wedding song might remind someone of their partner, while a childhood nursery rhyme could bring back memories of their family.

Music can also help someone reconnect with their sense of identity by reminding them of their interests, relationships and experiences.

However, not every song will bring back happy memories, so it’s important to pay attention to how someone responds.

3. Encourage communication and self-expression

Dementia can affect a person’s ability to speak, understand conversations or find the words they want to use.

Music provides another way to communicate.

Someone who struggles to hold a conversation may still be able to sing along to a familiar song, clap to the rhythm or express themselves through movement.

Music can also help people communicate their feelings without words.

For families, sharing a favourite song can create a meaningful moment of connection, particularly when everyday conversations have become more difficult.

You can listen to Grace Meadows, director of the charity Music for Dementia, talking about the benefits of music for people with dementia on carehome.co.uk’s podcast Let’s Talk About Care.

4. Encourage social interaction

Dementia can sometimes make people feel isolated, particularly if they find it difficult to follow conversations or take part in social activities.

Group singing and music sessions offer opportunities to spend time with others without the pressure of having to hold a conversation.

In care homes, residents may enjoy singing familiar songs together, listening to visiting musicians or joining in with simple percussion instruments.

These activities can encourage interaction, laughter and a sense of belonging.

5. Provide comfort in the later stages of dementia

Music can remain meaningful even when dementia has progressed and someone has significant difficulties with memory, speech or communication.

A person with advanced dementia may respond to a familiar song by smiling, moving their hands, tapping their feet or making eye contact.

Others may simply enjoy listening quietly.

Music can provide an opportunity for family members to connect with a loved one when conversation is no longer possible.

However, everyone’s response to music is different. Some people may find certain sounds overwhelming or upsetting, so music should always be chosen carefully.

How is music therapy used in care homes?

Many care homes include music in their activities programmes to help residents stay engaged, enjoy themselves and connect with others.

Some also arrange sessions with professional music therapists who have experience supporting people living with dementia.

Music activities in care homes may include:

• Group singing: Residents sing familiar songs together, sometimes accompanied by live music.
• Live performances: Visiting musicians perform songs that residents recognise and enjoy.
• Personalised playlists: Residents listen to music that has special meaning to them.
• Movement and dancing: Gentle movement to music encourages participation and enjoyment.
• Playing instruments: Simple instruments, such as tambourines or shakers, allow residents to take part regardless of musical ability.
• Individual music therapy: A qualified music therapist works with a resident to support their particular emotional and communication needs.

Care homes may also use familiar music during everyday activities, such as getting dressed or relaxing in the afternoon, if the resident finds it helpful.

The most important thing is that activities reflect each resident’s preferences rather than assuming everyone enjoys the same music.

Questions to ask a care home about music activities

If you’re looking for a dementia care home for a loved one, you may want to ask:

• Does the care home offer regular music or singing activities?
• Are music sessions suitable for residents with advanced dementia?
• Does the home offer professional music therapy or organise visits from qualified music therapists?
• Can residents listen to their favourite music in their rooms?
• How does the care home find out about residents’ musical preferences?
• Can family members join in with music activities?

Five ways to use music to support someone with dementia

You don’t need to be a professional music therapist to help someone with dementia enjoy music.

There are several simple ways to make music part of everyday life.

1. Create a personalised playlist

1. Create a personalised dementia playlist

Music preference is very individual and the emotions we have when hearing certain songs is deeply personal. Creating a playlist (or even mix CD or tape) of you or your loved one’s favourite and most memorable songs can be a great tool if you are having a difficult day. Listening to your playlist while exercising, such as while out for a walk or even dancing, can be even more beneficial.

Playlist for Life has further advice on creating a dementia playlist and for inspiration they recommend BBC Music Memories, which has lists of songs specially chosen to aid with dementia and that are great to sing along to, from pub songs to television theme songs.

Remember that people with dementia can experience sound differently so always play music quietly at first.

3. Listen to music during everyday activities

Music doesn’t have to be a planned activity.

Playing familiar songs while preparing a meal, getting dressed or relaxing together can make everyday routines more enjoyable.

Some people may find gentle music calming, while others prefer something more upbeat.

Music for Dementia (m4d) is a free, 24-hour, ad-free internet and DAB radio service created specifically for people living with dementia and their carers.

You can select to listen to the day’s mix or choose music based on when you were born. The idea is that music that came out in your teens and twenties are some of the most memorable and beneficial to improving brain function and mood.

3. Sing together

Singing can be an enjoyable way to spend time together, particularly when conversation becomes difficult.

You could sing along to a favourite record, try familiar nursery rhymes or listen to songs you both know.

Don’t worry about remembering every word or singing in tune. The important thing is enjoying the experience together.

The Alzheimer’s Society runs group singing sessions for people with dementia and their carers. These are designed to be sociable as well as a brain-boosting activity. Its founder, Chreanne Montgomery-Smith, said she got the idea after seeing the effect of singing in a care home: “One lady who didn’t know her own name knew every song in the quiz and sang them all.

“It made me realise that people with dementia had a special ability to remember songs. Even if people with dementia can’t talk, they may be able to sing, whistle, clap or tap their feet. It helps them, and their carers to feel life is worthwhile.”

Usually these are face-to-face meetings but during the coronavirus pandemic this has not been possible, however you can still attend sessions online via Zoom or by phone. More information or to find your local group.

Explore professional music therapy for dementia

If you think your loved one would benefit from more structured support, you could consider professional music therapy.

Professional music therapists use music as a means of connecting and communicating with clients. In the same way that other therapists get people to talk through their troubles, music therapists help people to express and work through their emotions using instruments or singing.

You can seek individual sessions with a therapist or attend a group session. To see what’s available in your area, you can have a look at the British Association for Music Therapy’s interactive map.

Can music be upsetting for someone with dementia?

Although music can have many benefits, it isn’t always a positive experience.

Certain songs may bring back difficult memories, while loud or unfamiliar music can sometimes make someone feel overwhelmed or distressed.

A person’s preferences may also change as dementia progresses.

When using music, remember to:

• Choose songs the person enjoys rather than assuming they’ll like a particular genre.
• Keep the volume comfortable and avoid playing music too loudly.
• Watch for signs of enjoyment, such as smiling, singing or relaxed body language.
• Stop or change the music if the person appears upset, uncomfortable or overwhelmed.
• Allow the person to choose whether they want to listen or take part.

Music should be an enjoyable experience, not something someone feels pressured to participate in.