Surrey care home assists live music charity with research programme

Music’s capacity to help adults with dementia is the focus of a study at Banstead care home , in an attempt to discover more about the science and therapeutic benefits upon a mind suffering from memory loss.

Carried out in collaboration with the University of Roehampton and live music charity Music in Hospitals (MIH), residents of the home will enjoy a range of interactive live music concerts, with a research team on hand to assess its impact.

As concert coordinator at Music in Hospitals, Lisa Freund, explains, “The residents at the care home enjoy music sessions filled with different genres, ranging from classical to jazz, folk, pop, show and old time. Our musicians possess exceptional communication skills, which enable them to involve audiences beyond a musical level and help to bring the person out of the patient.”

Part of the Forces Covenant Funding programme, the study includes techniques of cortisol and saliva monitoring to assess an individual’s mood, with high cortisol levels an indication of stress and increased saliva an indication of happiness.

Music to entertain residents with dementia has been a regular feature at The Royal Alfred Seafarers’ Society for many years, with many care sector experts having attested to the power of music to inspire nostalgia and memory, as well as relieving feelings of isolation.

Care home manager, Anne Kasey, comments: “It is an absolute pleasure to be involved in this study as we’re contributing to research that could help patients across the nation. As well as this, we’re helping to improve people’s understanding of dementia, how it works and how music can help sufferers. The effects are obvious, with residents becoming more interactive and stimulated.”

Results from the study will soon be available.