Abstract
The number of people living with dementia is growing, leading to increasing pressure upon care providers. The mechanisms to reduce symptoms of dementia can take many forms and have the aim of improving the wellbeing and quality of life of the person living with dementia and those who care for them. Besides the person who has dementia, the condition has a profound impact upon their loved ones and carers. One therapeutic approach is the use of music, an area recognised as having potential benefit, but requiring further research. The present paper reports upon a mixed methods cohort study that examines the use of a musical mobile app as a way to promote song-task association in people living with dementia. The study took place in care home environments in the UK. A total of fourteen participants (N = 14) were recruited. Quantitative measurements were taken on a daily basis prior to, and during, use of the mobile app over several weeks. Metrics came from the complete Self-Assessment Manikin scale (arousal, valence, and dominance), and a subset of three from the Quality of Life in Alzheimer's Disease questionnaire (physical health, memory, and life as a whole). Subsequently, semistructured interviews were conducted with staff at the care home to assess the impact of the app upon their role and the residents they care for. No significant differences were found in the combined quantitative measures for the ten (n = 10) sets of responses sufficient to be analysed. However, the qualitative results suggest that use of the mobile app produced positive changes in terms of behaviour, ability, and routine in the life of residents living with dementia. These findings contribute to the growing body of evidence-based research in the field of musical therapies for reducing symptoms of dementia and highlight elements where further study is warranted.
Highlights
Dementia incidence in the United Kingdom (UK) in people aged over 65 years is over 7%, and the total number of people with dementia in the UK is forecast to reach in excess of 1 million by 2025 and over 2 million by the year 2050, with Alzheimer’s disease currently being the most common subtype followed by vascular dementia [1]
In addition to the wellbeing of the person living with dementia, there is recognition of the strains put upon their care givers
E emotional behaviours associated with Alzheimer’s and dementia are patterns that occur when someone living with the condition is overwhelmed with emotion [14]. ese emotions include confusion, fear, panic, and anxiety, which manifest in behaviours such as lashing out, physical shaking, inability to move, crying, shouting, and screaming. ese actions would be classed as emotional behaviours that this research project aims to subdue
Summary
Dementia incidence in the United Kingdom (UK) in people aged over 65 years is over 7%, and the total number of people with dementia in the UK is forecast to reach in excess of 1 million by 2025 and over 2 million by the year 2050, with Alzheimer’s disease currently being the most common subtype followed by vascular dementia [1]. Journal of Healthcare Engineering examines the benefits of technological interventions to support care givers, which has indicated that relationships between the carer and patient can be improved as a result [3]. Cuddy et al [5] supported these findings by studying the impact of melodies and lyrics from music on the recall of certain words in Alzheimer’s and dementia patients. Both of these studies show how music can be used in memory recall and as a stimulus
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary 
Published Version (
Free)
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call