“Singing is like medicine. It makes me feel so much better.”
Participant, NAPA, Choir Homes Buddies Project
In recent years the number of music activities in care homes has increased dramatically and the subject has gained a great deal of publicity. Projects such as A Choir in Every Care Home have demonstrated the amazing power of singing, summarising the benefits as follows:
- Singing can improve the quality of life for residents, including those with dementia at various stages, and a range of other health issues.
- In turn, this can help their carers and family feel more positive.
Care staff who sing were more motivated and enjoyed their work more. - Homes that sang and introduced music regularly were, in our surveys happier places as a result.
- We even found evidence that care homes and other settings saved costs elsewhere as a result of introducing such activities.
- The QCQ tell us that an effective singing programme can address each of the five questions they consider when making their quality assessment of a care home.
Music is arguably the most powerful art form for engaging with people living with dementia. Ask anyone working in a care home and they will tell you about the amazing ways that music can reach even the most withdrawn resident, provoking positive responses and bringing great pleasure.
Musical activities in care homes include:
- choirs
- sing-a-long groups
- karaoke
- playing instruments
- opera singing
- musical concerts
- clapping games
- MP3 players, radios, records and CDs
We would love to hear about your music activities. Please get in touch