Giving Tuesday is a global movement that inspires millions of people to give, collaborate and celebrate kindness.
Give the gift of music or donate this Giving Tuesday, 29th November
Music for my Mind has created a free-to-use app that enables people affected by dementia to enjoy their life soundtrack through personalised music playlists, improving their quality of life and the well-being of those closest to them. Users can listen for free on Spotify or YouTube.
There is growing evidence that music can be calming and/or stimulating for people living with memory loss or dementia. It can be a vital tool in supporting anyone affected by dementia, as it can recreate the ‘common ground’ stolen from relationships and improve the individual’s quality of life and that of their family, friends and carers.
This Giving Tuesday, give the gift of music by creating a playlist for someone you love living with dementia or memory loss, and help them recreate connections with loved ones, reduce reliance on drug treatments, manage anxiety, combat depression and ease stress during difficult care events.
You can also donate to help us reach more families, visit more local groups for people with dementia and their families, and to further our research.
“Whilst I can’t speak to mum now, the one connection we still have is music. I play her tracks when I visit, and she amazingly mouths the lyrics. The power of music on the mind – incredible. Songs will be the last things we share.”
– David, about his mum
Music is a powerful tool
There is growing evidence that music can be calming and/or stimulating for people living with memory loss or dementia. Research has often highlighted the importance of sensory experience for people with dementia as cognitive function deteriorates and its potential efficacy in the management of behavioural and psychological symptoms in dementia (BPSD). Music has been suggested to be a vital tool in reducing these behavioural and psychological symptoms, as it can recreate the ‘common ground’ stolen from their relationships and improve the individual’s quality of life and that of their family, friends and carers.
What we are doing to harness this
During the lockdown in 2020, together with our technology development partners DabApps, we developed a web app, which allows users to create a personalised playlist for themselves or a loved one with memory loss or dementia in 15 minutes. This is done using information about their music preferences collected during the playlist creation process.
We invite families to use our app to create a free personalised playlist for a loved one, which can be listened to for free on Spotify or YouTube. Feedback from users on their experience with the app, and the effects of music listening is really helpful to us, as we continue to develop the technology. Such feedback will also contribute to growing evidence on the benefits of personalised music for people with dementia, with the goal to influence future clinical and CQC guidelines on dementia care.
