Music Therapy in Home Care: More Than Just a Playlist

Imagine soothing melodies filling the room, transforming the atmosphere and lifting spirits. In the UK homecare sector, music is more than just a pleasant backdrop.

Music therapy is emerging as a powerful transformative approach providing physical, social, mental and emotional benefits to homecare clients, particularly elderly patients who are socially isolated, terminally ill, or living with dementia.

Here, we dig into the science behind music therapy and its benefits, the role of a music therapist, and how home care agencies can integrate this innovative approach into care plans.

How Music Affects the Brain

• Music is a powerful universal language that connects us even when words fail, and how we react to music is unique to our personality and circumstances. Playing and listening to music activates both the left and right areas of the brain related to memory, emotion and motor function.
• According to music neuroscience researchers, certain songs can reactivate memory and cognitive function (process of knowing, learning and understanding things), especially songs with strong emotional connections to the listener.
• Research on music and emotion has found it triggers chemical messages in our brains releasing the ‘feel-good’ hormone dopamine, affecting movement, motivation, mood, attention and memory.

Psychological Benefits

• Music therapy can help senior care clients to tackle life challenges, such as illness, disability, social isolation and mental health conditions, reducing anxiety, depression and stress. In Hsu et al.’s (2015) study, familiar songs were found to stimulate memory, laughter, movement and a sense of self.
• Worldwide, 50m people have dementia; that’s estimated to increase to 75.6m in 2030, and 135.5m in 2050. For later stages of dementia, musical communication and expression can reduce symptoms such as agitation, anxiety and apathy. Recalling songs can unlock positive memories and help express emotions, such as happiness, frustration or sadness. In some cases, music therapy recipients decrease their medication, compared to those who haven’t received music therapy.
• In earlier stages of dementia, mainstream musical activities are beneficial, like:
  • listening to personalised playlists
  • participating in community choirs like Singing for the Brain
  • attending dementia-friendly public performances
  • engaging in karaoke or percussion sessions
• Together in Sound is a partnership between Saffron Hall and The Cambridge Institute for Music Therapy. 24 couples living at home, where one person has dementia and the other is a family member or carer, participate in a weekly music therapy group. Claire Molyneux, music therapist, uses improvised music, composed songs, songwriting and invites professional performers. Carer Bob, says: “We sing, talk about our music and the feelings it provides us with, we smile, we laugh a lot, we have fun. Gone are feelings of uncertainty, turmoil, fear, suspicion and confusion.”

Physical Benefits

• Did you know your heartbeat changes to mimic music you listen to? As well as reducing your heart rate, other physiological effects of music include improved breathing, lower blood pressure, enhanced cardiac output and relaxed muscle tension.
• Playing a musical instrument and engaging in rhythmic activities and movement can help improve fine (hands, fingers and wrists) and gross (whole body) motor skills.
• Music can positively influence a body’s response to injury or illness, aiding the healing process after surgery and during the recovery and rehabilitation stages, facilitating movement and motivating clients to cope with treatment.

What is a Music Therapist?

In the UK, music therapists hold a music therapy Masters degree and have a high level of musicianship and skill. They are registered as Allied Health Professionals by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and belong to the British Association for Music Therapy (BAMT), a professional membership body that provides information, support and training.

A music therapist will:

• assess individual patients’ needs and create personalised therapy plans that track their progress. They work together with care staff to understand how music therapy can help with the senior person’s general problems.
• educate carers, health practitioners, and family members on effective musical elements, including singing, rhythmic interaction and listening. Carers can then embed music or different ways of interacting, learned from the music therapists into a client’s care plan in between sessions.

Tailoring Music to Patients’ Needs

• Specialist music therapy skills allow personalised musical interventions that respond to participants’ needs “in the moment.” Adapting to, capturing emotional expression, and changing pace according to need is core to a music therapists’ specialist training.
• Ethical best practice means being authentic, for example encouraging personal musical engagement that feels genuine to the participants, like culturally specific music, high quality of musicianship and good quality interventions.

Embedding Music Therapy into Home Care

A growing need for music therapists to share skills, working together with musicians not trained as therapists and with carers, was recognised in the ‘International Longevity Centre’ publication launched in the House of Lords.

The paper includes current evidence for music and music therapy practice, and relevant theory and training for people living with dementia, recommending:

• essential access to music for dementia patients, their families and carers
• further research, training and resources to involve the expertise of music therapists
• geographically placing music ambassadors

The Commission on Dementia and Music funded by the Utley Foundation, allows relatives and carers to find music therapy services tailored to specific stages along the dementia pathway. Led by Grace Meadows, ‘Music for Dementia’ is making a significant difference and is leading on implementing the Commission’s recommendations.

Getting Started with Music Therapy

Home care agencies interested in setting up their own music therapy programme can find a certified music therapist on the British Association of Music Therapy website.

Tagtronics all-in-one home care software can help streamline a music therapy programme, easily integrating into an existing client’s care plan, including scheduling sessions and tracking progress.

We’d encourage homecare agencies to explore music therapy as a valuable addition to their existing care services, supporting patients’ mental, emotional, and physical well-being.

Music therapy is more than just a playlist; it’s a powerful tool with a multitude of benefits to transform your care clients’ lives, making homecare a more nurturing and holistic experience for everyone.