Care leaders collaborate with music groups to help care homes sing safely this Christmas

Care leaders and music groups leaders have come together to produce a leaflet in line with current government COVID guidance documents, to keep singing and music activities alive over the Christmas period.

Care England and National Care Forum (NCF) have collaborated with National Activity Providers Association (NAPA), Music for Dementia and Live Music Now to produce a leaflet called ‘Keeping singing in tune with COVID-19 restrictions’.

This leaflet has been produced to help care providers lead safe group singing and music activities over the festive period with controlled measures to consider putting into place to help with planning and risk assessing in advance.

Research shows there are risks associated with transfer of COVID-19 through build-up of aerosol droplets during group singing activity in indoor spaces. However, singing has been proven to help with “people’s wellbeing,” bring “communities together” and help people recover from the impacts of the pandemic.

Professor Martin Green, chief executive of Care England, said: “In amongst so much uncertainty, we know singing and music are really important to people’s wellbeing. Keeping Singing in Tune with COVID-19 Restrictions will help care homes to be able to continue to bring the joy of singing and music to their residents.

“We hope this will be a useful resource for care providers and look forward to sharing it with our members.”

’Music is at the heart of great care’

Some of the considerations for group singing highlighted in the leaflet are: ‘Avoid encouraging loud singing. Research suggests higher volume speaking and singing increase risk as droplets travel further and the aerosol produced can stay suspended in the air for longer’ and ‘use safe ways of sharing lyrics such as a screen to project or a flip chart, rather than handing out song sheets / books.’

Vic Rayner, executive director, National Care Forum, said: “At NCF we think music is absolutely at the heart of great care. Being able to sing together brings communities together -and never has it been more important to have that sense of connection. We hope that this resource will support organisations to once more raise the rafters as they begin that all important countdown to Christmas.”

Music plays such an important part to people who live with dementia. According to Dementia UK, music is increasingly being used to communicate and engage with people with dementia. As dementia progresses, music can be used to enhance communication and wellbeing. Music stimulates different parts of the brain and can help the person to express feelings and connect with past memories.

Grace Meadows, programme director for Music for Dementia, said: “Christmas and singing are synonymous, and we want everyone – carers and service users alike – to be able to experience that uplifting feeling of joining in with familiar festive songs and carols in a COVID-safe way.”

Nina Swann, acting executive director at Live Music Now, commented: “We are delighted to be supporting music and care professionals to work together to keep person-centred, meaningful music going in the current challenging and difficult circumstances.”

To download ‘Keeping singing in tune with COVID-19 restrictions’ go to: https://cdn.buildresources.co.uk/sites/802/docs/Keeping_Singing_Going_Leaflet_Hi_RRes-1.pdf