Music for Dementia launches playlist guides
Earlier this year, we brought you the news that Music for Dementia had launched a musical map of community-based, dementia-friendly music offerings across the country.
Now it has launched a new initiative to highlight the positive impact music can have for people with dementia in the form of guides on creating a personalised playlist.
According to www.musicfordementia2020.com evidence shows that listening to music with a personal connection has huge benefits. Creating a personal playlist of favourite songs can reduce symptoms of dementia such as agitation. It can also bring people together in conversation and reminiscence about certain songs.
The way people listen to music now is very different. CDs and vinyl are still played, but many people now listen to music through streaming services. However, a person with dementia might not know how to use these platforms. Music for Dementia has launched its guides to help create playlists on Amazon, Apple, Spotify, Google and YouTube.
Grace Meadows, Programme Director at Music for Dementia 2020, says on its website: “Having access to personalised music, in the right way and at the right time, has been shown to be much more effective than just putting the radio on or listening indiscriminately to music.
“The act of creating a personalised playlist, whether that’s done online, writing it down on a piece of paper or by going through your music collection with someone, makes up the soundtrack of your life.”
How personalised playlists can help
Your loved one might need help creating their playlists and knowing how to access them. But once they get the hang of it, they will thoroughly enjoy them.
The playlists also eliminate the need for a person to have to keep changing CDs. They’re also played via portable devices that can be carried around.
Having a personalised playlist means a person with or even without dementia can easily access their favourite songs. Whatever track they’re in the mood to hear will be available to them at a click of a button.
You can view Music for Dementia’s playlist guides here.
Why not dedicate some time to helping a loved one with dementia create their own playlists of their favourite tracks?
You can read our blog post on how music can help with dementia here.
