Words by Smiley Team
Music that gives people that “flashback feeling” can be a lifeline for those affected by dementia.
To mark World Alzheimer’s Month, the charity Playlist for Life has launched its ‘Songs for Dementia’ campaign, which focuses on how personally meaningful music can help a person with dementia shine through.
The campaign is led by a short film featuring the story of Playlist for Life’s founder: writer and broadcaster Sally Magnusson. Sally founded the charity in 2013 after the death of her mother, who lived with dementia, to ensure that everyone living with the condition has a playlist of personal music and that everyone who cares for them to know how to use it effectively.
The charity’s work is based on more than two decades of research showing that ‘personal music’ – the specific tunes attached to someone’s emotions that can spark memories – can help those living with dementia by alleviating stress, managing symptoms and strengthening relationships with family members and carers.
In September 2019, the World Health Organisation undertook a major study investigating the evidence for the health benefits of the arts. A section on dementia found evidence of multiple specific benefits including: reducing anxiety and depression; supporting cognition, speech and memory; reducing the need for antipsychotic drugs, and fewer and shorter stays in hospital.
Since 2013, Playlist for Life has trained over 7,000 health and social care professionals on using personal playlists in dementia care. The charity also works with over 1000 community ‘Help Points’ around the UK, where people living with dementia, their loved ones and carers can access free advice and materials on how to build personal playlists and use them effectively.
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During Covid-19, the charity adapted to restrictions by offering materials through the post, hosting webinars, and offering phone support to people living with dementia and their carers, who were often left isolated due to lockdown restrictions.
Michelle Armstrong-Surgenor, executive director of Playlist for Life, said: “This World Alzheimer’s Month, we’re focusing on the people beyond the dementia diagnosis. People living with dementia, their families and carers are at the heart of everything we do at Playlist for Life, and personal music is a powerful tool to unlock people’s individuality.
“Personal playlists tell the story of someone’s life through music and are a proven non-pharmacological intervention for people living with dementia. This campaign aims to bring the power of personal music to anyone affected by the condition and is a call to all of us to see the person, not the dementia.”
Find out more about creating a playlist for someone with demetia on the Playlist for Life website.
Image credit: Rikur B / Shutterstock
