Music therapy is beneficial in dementia care

Music therapy plays a vital role in easing the anxiety of people with dementia, reducing their isolation and helping them retain and re-experience their sense of identity. As dementia progresses, people retain their capacity to respond to and become engaged in music even as the brain deteriorates.

We are calling for music in general and music therapy in particular to be more readily available in care homes and hospitals. Music therapy can enhance the general quality of care, help staff deal with agitation, apathy, and communication problems, and help people live well with dementia.

Music therapy is particularly beneficial in dementia care. A music therapist can often still engage meaningfully with someone who has lost their capacity for verbal communication, and this is key in breaking down social isolation. Music therapy can also help people with dementia sustain cognitive functioning, motor skills, communication and identity. NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) recognised this in its latest dementia guidance from June 2019, recommending that people living with dementia should be offered music therapy to help promote wellbeing.

The International Longevity Centre’s Commission on Music and Dementia report from 2018 noted: “Music can promote a range of hugely beneficial outcomes for people with dementia. Moreover, when used appropriately and in a meaningful way, the use of music has no known negative impacts.”