Music in Dementia Care: Empowering Caregivers through our online training
The course is currently available in English, Telugu and Hindi and can be accessed for free here .
- The Music Helps course is a collaborative initiative between UK-based charity Music as Therapy International and Kshetra Assisted Living in India. This online interactive training is designed to provide caregivers with an accessible “musical toolkit” to aid the care of individuals living with dementia. Through the course, caregivers learn how music can be integrated into dementia care, improving communication, mood, and social interaction for elderly individuals.
Benefits of Music in Dementia Care
- The course highlights the numerous benefits of using music in dementia caregiving, including:
- Emotional Engagement: Music helps stimulate emotions and memory, often triggering positive associations that reduce anxiety and agitation.
- Cognitive Stimulation: Caregivers learn how to use music therapy techniques to help maintain cognitive function, enhance memory recall, and foster communication.
- Social Interaction: Music serves as a tool for social engagement for seniors, encouraging interaction, conversation, and participation in group activities.
- Physical Movement: Music can stimulate movement, promoting physical activity and coordination through rhythmic cues.
- This course aims to train caregivers in assisted living facilities, like Kshetra, to integrate music therapy into their care practices for the benefit of elderly residents, particularly those with dementia.
How Caregivers Benefit from the Training
- Focus on Music as a Tool: The course teaches caregivers how to use music effectively in dementia care, enhancing emotional, cognitive, and social engagement.
- Target Audience: Primarily designed for caregivers in assisted living or nursing homes, as well as family caregivers supporting individuals with dementia at home.
- Training in Practical Skills: Caregivers learn structured music sessions, personalized playlists, and song-based memory techniques.
- Benefits of Music Interventions: The course explains how music can reduce agitation, improve communication, and encourage social engagement.
- Sustainability: Caregivers acquire long-term skills that can be continuously applied in their care environments.
- Insight into Living with Dementia: The course provides an in-depth understanding of dementia and how music can help manage its challenges.
- Overall, the Music Helps course reflects a growing recognition of the value of music in improving quality of life for older adults, particularly those facing cognitive decline.
Key Elements of the Music Helps Course
- The course comprises five interactive chapters offering videos, practical examples, caregiver interviews, exercises, and resources. Below is a summary of the course content:
Chapter 1: Your Relationship with Music
- - The role of music across the lifespan
- - Reflecting on your own “musical heritage”
- - Responses to music and musical preferences
- - Music and memory
Chapter 2: Focusing on Dementia
- - Living with dementia
- - Dementia and memory
- - Communication in dementia care
Chapter 3: Using Music with Someone Living with Dementia
- - An introduction to music therapy techniques
- - A musical conversation
- - Your relationship with singing
Chapter 4: Musical Techniques
- - Creating a playlist
- - Connecting through music
- - Music therapy techniques in action
- - Adapting songs
- - Facilitating movement
Chapter 5: Putting Learning into Practice
- - How to start using music
- - Adapting your approach over time
- - Music at the end of life
- - Music for self-care
- - Reflecting on your new musical toolkit
To enroll in the course, visit this link: Music as Therapy Course
*We would like to acknowledge the efforts of Ms. Pavithra Hariharan who helped us with the voiceover for the Hindi version of the course.