The Care Providers
We will work closely with statutory, voluntary and private sector partners to ensure our project reaches its target audience and is open and accessible.
Care homes and residential day care centres will be selected on the following criteria;
a. The needs and requirements of that individual care provider
b. The amount of daytime activities the care provider currently provides
c. After discussions with our statutory, voluntary and private sectors partners
Benefits of Music for People Living With Dementia
The number of people living with dementia is increasing in the UK and many are losing their connection with the world around them but music sessions can have a positive impact on mental health.
Research has shown singing familiar songs can unlock past memories and karaoke provides time for important socialization.
Music can aid with sleep, improve motivation, improve mood and help to reduce the symptoms of depression.
Researchers from the charity Mind found music releases dopamine which is the feel-good chemical in your brain.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE)recommends singing programmes among activities for preserving independence and mental wellbeing in older people and research has shown music in care homes can contribute to a reduction in medication, hospital visits and falls.
Music is a wonderful way to release stress and can have a positive impact on mental health and distract from physical discomfort.
Dementia research is increasingly demonstrating the positive effects of music by improving thinking, mood and communication skills.
For older people living with cognitive decline, the feelings of happiness that music can bring can be invaluable
The British Association for Music Therapy says: “Music is something that we can all relate to regardless of age and is often central to a person’s sense of identity. It provides us with ways to connect and share feeling, memories and moments with others and offers stimulation and encourages expression”
What the Session Involves
Prior to the day of the Dementia Music Session, we will contact with the care provider to select potential songs and to outline the structure of the session.
The Dementia Music Session is a 45 minutes informal interactive filmed group participation karaoke sing-along session where pensioners and people living with dementia can sing their favourite songs, songs from their childhood and karaoke classics.
Our team takes care of all the logistics and with our mobile karaoke machine, professional singer and recording technician, we can hold sessions at a location, time and setting that suits the needs and requirements of care homes or residential day care centres.
We Provide
The Dementia Music Session includes a professional singer, a recording technician, the karaoke machine, digital video cameras and the necessary audio recording equipment.
• The Professional Singer
Leading the session, the singer will make the session fun, interactive and enjoyable for all. She will promote crowd participation by encouraging the quieter members of the group to singing-along and the least shy pensioners can also perform solo renditions.
To learn more about Helen visit our Meet the Team Page
• Camera and Audio Operator / Editor
After setting up the karaoke system, audio equipment and video cameras, the recording technician will capture the laughter, smiles and the joy of the live performance.
Recording technician / editor will be employed on a freelance basis and paid the recognised industry hourly rate.
Equipment Provided
• Karaoke Machine
• Microphones and Stands
• Digital Video Cameras
• Audio recording equipment
The Cost
We do not charge for the Dementia Music Session, its video and the photographs and they are all provided to the care provider and pensioners free of charge.
The Video and Photographs
Dementia has robbed some residences of care homes and their family of precious moments and for family members the video of the Dementia Music Session will be a lasting memory of the smiles and the sound of the laughter of their love ones.
The video and photographs is a permanent, visual and audible reminder of the day and makes a simple but perfect gift for family and friends.
The recorded audio and footage from the Dementia Music Session is taken to our editing suite, where the sound is mixed and the footage edited to create the perfect video.
Within 24 hours of the Dementia Music Session we will send a copy of the video and several photographs taken at the Dementia Music Session to the care provider via a password protected drop-box.
Drop-boxes can be accessed by different individuals at different locations and are a convenience and ideal way to transfer videos and photographs which are too big to send via email.
By sharing the link to the password protected drop-box, the video and photographs can be shared amongst friends and family, who can upload them onto their phone or home computer and enjoy watching the smiles and laughter of their love ones as they sing-along.
The Audio
The recorded audio will be given its own treatment of equalizations, effects and balancing before the tracks are mixed into stereo.
The mixed audio will then be added to the edited video footage, ensuring the video has professional quality sound.
The Photographs
Several causal and group photographs will be taken during the Dementia Music Session.
These photographs will also act as an additional visual reminder of the day.
The Video
Recorded on digital cameras and edited on the Final Cut Pro, the final edited video will be up to 20 minute long, superbly and professionally edited and can be viewed again and again and enjoyed by the pensioners, the care providers and friends and family.
For dementia suffers the video will provide a permanent reminder of the Dementia Music Session.
Post Session Assessment
Via a questionnaire sent to the care provider one week after the Dementia Music Session, we will evaluate the impact of our sessions on the wellbeing of the pensioners to ensure we understand and can communicate the difference we are making.
The care provider feedback questionnaire will be used to drive delivery improvements and include the following:-
• Users experience and overall satisfaction
• Did the session have any impact on mood or emotion – if so what?
• Did the session meet expectations
• List three things enjoyed most
• Would you recommend the session to another person /organisation