The Care Inspectorate is backing an innovative project which is helping families and their loved ones with dementia connect through music.
Playlist For Life helps people use music to rekindle memories and promote connections with loved ones, as well as alleviate dementia symptoms such as stress and distress.
The project encourages families and people living with dementia to identify music from their past that can evoke memories – their ‘playlist for life’. They can then listen to their playlist with a family member or carer with two sets of headphones and a splitter cable, through speakers or even just singing together.
The Care Inspectorate, which is supportive of the project, has launched a resource supporting care homes across Scotland to deliver Playlist for Life to residents.
Heather Edwards, the Care Inspectorate’s dementia consultant, said: “Playlist for Life is such a great way to make that connection with a person living with dementia where everyday communication may be limited.
“A personalised playlist is the soundtrack that many of us have running alongside the important events in our lives as well as the background rhythm to the passing years. Hearing a song that takes us to our childhood home gives us a link to our identity. A song from a wedding can connect us to a loved partner. For me Playlist is all about making those connections to the people and events in our lives that define who we are.”
Sally Magnusson, Chair and founder of Playlist for Life said:
“We are absolutely delighted that the Care Inspectorate is backing Playlist for Life. We offer support and training to care homes so they can reach an individual and bring them closer to staff and family members through their unique playlist. We know it changes lives. We are excited that the Care Inspectorate wants all care homes in Scotland to be aware of its power.”
The Care Inspectorate’s resource is a short film which highlights the benefits of the project and introduces key components to care home staff.
Heather added: “Staff watching the film will be able to get an awareness of the how to use Playlist and where to get training and support to bring this into their care homes, day centres or use with people living in their own homes. The more care staff know about a person the better they can support them to live well and keep those connections to friends and family as well as their own sense of who they are.”
For more information on Playlist for Life, support for families and training for health and social care professionals visit: http://www.playlistforlife.org.uk
The Care Inspectorate’s resource is available here: https://youtu.be/tzyv2-bMYkk