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  • Live music ‘benefits the whole care home’

    A study by Music Now and the University of Winchester is recommending that live music should be essential in all UK care homes.

    The authors say they have ground-breaking evidence about how music can benefit people living and working in care, and provide practical guidance about how music can be introduced affordably and sustainably.

    Live Music In Care initiative is the result of research that has been supported by 35 national organisations in the social care and arts sectors, working together since 2015 under the banner ‘A Choir in Every Care Home’, funded by the Baring Foundation.

    They are united in their vision to inspire and support care homes throughout the UK to introduce more and better music engagement for older people.

    Over the past three years, the group surveyed creative ways that older people engage with music, and explored why the majority of care homes do not regularly offer this opportunity. They uncovered a wealth of evidence supporting the use of music for older people, particularly for those living with dementia.

    However, they also found there was limited evidence available about how music programmes can impact on a whole care home.

    From June 2017 to August 2018, Live Music Now and the University of Winchester worked in partnership with MHA (Methodist Homes) and The Orders of St John Care Trust to investigate the impact of music on residents, staff and the whole care home environment.

    The independently evaluated results showed significant impacts for everyone involved, concluding that “carefully delivered music can provide significant benefits for older people, care staff and care settings, contributing to person-centred care”.

    As well as recommending that music should be “essential” for all care homes, the report makes a series of practice recommendations about choosing suitable repertoire, the appropriate use of percussion and the importance of managerial support and careful planning.

    The full report and a short 4-page summary can be downloaded from www.livemusicincare.org.uk.

    Professor Martin Green OBE, UK Govt Dementia Champion, CEO of Care England, said: “We have known for some time that carefully delivered music activities can provide significant benefits for people who live and work in care. At last, this important report presents rigorous evidence showing how music can impact on whole care settings, not just on individuals. There should no longer be any excuses – live music programmes should be essential for all UK care homes. This report shows why, and what practical steps care homes can take to embrace this.”

    Andrea Sutcliffe, Chief Inspector, Care Quality Commission, said: “The excellent Live Music in Care report is a big step forward in showing what live music can do. This is much more than simply entertainment. If done well, live music can help care homes achieve all the key indicators of quality person-centred provision that CQC inspectors are looking for.”

    Sir Vernon Ellis, Chairman of Live Music Now, added: “At Live Music Now, we provide thousands of evidence-based music workshops for older people each year, throughout the UK. This report shows that we need to go even further, supporting those many care homes who have not yet had the opportunity of seeing the benefits of participative live music, and helping them to rise to the challenge. I hope you will join us on this important journey.”

    Main project partners and funders include Live Music Now, The University of Winchester, MHA, The Orders of St John Care Trust, The Baring Foundation, The Utley Foundation, The Royal British Legion, the UK Treasury’s LIBOR funds, Sound Sense and Canterbury Christchurch University.

    AUTHOR

    Stuart O'Brien

    All stories by: Stuart O'Brien

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