Residents “uplifted” by Glebe House Care Home's dementia choir

The launch of a dementia choir at a care home in Woodbridge has had an “uplifting” effect on residents living with dementia.

Trish Middleton, manager at Glebe House residential home, was inspired to set up the dementia choir after watching BBC documentary, Our Dementia Choir with Vicky McClure.

There are currently 850,000 people with dementia in the UK and this number is projected to increase rapidly over the next few decades. According to the Alzheimer’s Society, evidence suggests music can improve the mood, behaviour and wellbeing of those living with dementia.

The Glebe House choir, which meets weekly at the care home, brings together residents living with dementia, care home staff, and volunteers from the local community to share the enjoyment of singing familiar songs.

Trish was keen to trial a dementia-embracing community choir to see if it was an activity the residents would engage with, and she has been amazed at the response.

“The uplifting effect the choir generates is remarkable – it’s brought residents who are usually quiet out of themselves, everyone enjoys singing along, and even after the session residents are laughing and smiling all afternoon,” said Trish.

“Residents who are often confused and forgetful suddenly remember every single word of a song they learnt as a child. Many people with dementia are still able to enjoy music and to sing even when they start to lose their language abilities.”

The care home has a folder full of old songs for residents to choose from, including Pack Up Your Troubles in Your Old Kit-Bag, an old wartime song, and tunes from old films, such as Wouldn't It Be Loverly from My Fair Lady.

Marjorie Higgins, aged 84, enjoys being a member of the choir, and despite suffering from common dementia traits such as forgetfulness and confusion recalls all the words to the songs.

Trish added: “Marjorie is often quite restless and finds it difficult to sit still, but each week she sits for a whole hour and takes part in the choir.

“Her daughter was astonished when she first saw her mum singing along. Apparently, Marjorie was never one for being the centre of attention but taking part in the weekly sing-along has boosted Marjorie’s confidence and really brings her out of her shell.

“One of our other members, 90-year-old resident Helen, can sometimes have bad days where she feels low and tired. However, she loves the choir and always looks forward to taking part.

“The singing seems to energise Helen, she enjoys swaying to the music and doing all the actions to the songs. Following the activity, she always has a big smile on her face and her mood is noticeably improved.

“About half a dozen of our residents take part, each choosing to participate in their own way. It works so well because for that hour there’s just music and no other distractions.”

The choir is one of a wide range of activities delivered by the 20-bed residential care home to stimulate residents and improve their wellbeing.

For more information visit www.glebehousecarehome.co.uk

click here for more details or to contact Glebe House Residential Care Home