Give people living with dementia THEIR music back

Aim

We reconnect people living with dementia in care homes to their 'lost' memories and emotions by giving them THEIR music.

Music can unlock the person trapped inside the care home 'patient'.

When all else seems lost, Music can reconnect dementia 'patients' to experience the person they once were by unlocking the positive feelings and emotions associated with their favourite music. This is care that sees the person and not just the 'patient'.

Research* has proven that the music that shapes our lives, those songs and pieces of music imprinted in our heads and in our hearts, can be a force for good in people living with Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia.

The problem

70% of people living in UK care homes have dementia or severe memory problems. Almost all have no access to their music - care homes are not set up to offer Favourite Music as standard. Often people can become isolated and depressed.

 Photography: © Maria Santto

The solution: Music & Memory   

So Music & Memory are committed to providing every patient in every care home in the UK with the chance to have the power of their favourite music alive in their world.

But that takes money. And that’s why we’re crowdfunding!

When all else seems lost to them, playing people living with dementia their favourite music offers immeasurable benefits:

brings pleasure and enhances quality of life;  restores identity and encourages connections (family & community);   people feel more active and communicative; helps to offset boredom, isolation, depression and reduces use of medications (especially harmful antipsychotics); increases nutrition and appetite; offsets symptoms of Sundowning (anxiety occurring around around dusk) and transforms visits from other family members and friends – music is a great activity to bring everyone together!

But to make that real we need the training, the equipment and the music vouchers to provide the therapy and build the playlists for them. That’s where you come in.

If we reach our target, the money you give will provide 540 people living in 36 care homes with the equipment they need to listen to their favourite music for life. IF we can reach our stretch target of £60,000 we will provide another 270 people with the equipment they need - making a total of 810 people in 54 care homes.

Our programme has reached 85,000 people living in care homes in the US, we have now begun reaching the 300,000 people currently living with dementia in our UK care homes.

Thank you.

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* There is a lot of research to back this up - you can see some of it that we have collected here. There is a video from Oliver Sacks here which explores the 'music brain connection'.

Music & Memory is a non-profit UK registered company dedicated to providing personalised playlists to support people living with cognitive impairment or in pain. We train nursing home staff and other health and care professionals, as well as family caregivers, in how to create and provide personalised playlists using MP3 players that enable those struggling with Alzheimer’s, dementia and other cognitive and physical challenges to reconnect with the world through music-triggered memories.

We are really thankful for the support we have received from musicians around the world who understand the unique power of music.

We are very grateful to Picture Book Films for producing our video at no charge at what was a very busy time for them - thank you James and Claire! A very big thank you to wonderful team and residents at Maplehurst Care Home for allowing us film their Music & Memory programme. 

This project successfully funded on 8th January 2019