New radio station for people with dementia

The current pandemic has been tough for everyone, but especially people with dementia and their carers.

To brighten people’s moods during these times, Music 4 Dementia, has launched a new, free radio station.

It is available 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week. There is a ‘mix station’, playing classics from multiple eras. Listeners can also choose from four other stations dedicated to certain decades.

People can select the year they were born and listen to hits from that decade too.

Not only is the station designed to boost someone’s moods, it’s also non-commercial and does not contain advertisements. This helps people in the mid to late stages of the condition avoid distractions and confusion when listening. Any talking on the station is also kept to a minimum.

These stations are available via any internet-enabled device including computers, tablets, mobile phones, smart TVs and Alexas. People can tune in at https://m4dradio.com/.

Music for Dementia has been a big help to lots of our service users. Earlier this year it launched a music guide with advice for people with dementia on incorporating music into their daily lives while under the current lockdown restrictions.

It has also launched a musical map for people to find services in their neighbourhood. There is a new initiative to highlight the positive impact music can have for people with the condition including guides on creating a personalised playlist.

Grace Meadows, Music for Dementia Programme Director, says on its website: “We know that music enriches the lives of people living with dementia and during lockdown the benefits of music for everyone have become even more felt. Providing a choice of era-specific stations to cater for different age groups means the music on m4d Radio has more resonance to enhance quality of life.”