Music Therapy: A Remedy for Resident and Caregiver Alike
We here at Abba Care have been thinking a lot on music & movement therapy. You can see from the video below that music therapy has some real benefits.
There are clear movement benefits, but what else does music do? We set out to investigate a bit.
Foreword: A lot of our research today is a distillation of another distillation. Researchers Michelle Wall and Anita Duffy in Ireland set out to gather research on music therapy’s positive benefits and compiled that research into another research document. We’ll be referencing a lot to their research rather than to the research they summarize, but you can investigate on your own if you like by reading their research.
The Test
A test was performed in Australia to see how different auditory inputs affected residents (Wall 111). Researchers played a pre-recorded loved one, the residents’ preferred music, and “non-emotive reading from a gardening book” (Wall 111).
“The researchers hypothesized that the simulated presence of a loved one, through playing a voice recording of that person recalling a positive past experience, would have more of an effect than preferred music in reducing the frequency of physical and verbal agitation and that both measures would be more beneficial than a placebo condition. (Wall 111)”
The results showed that all interventions lowered agitation but in different ways:
“The researchers were surprised that all three interventions were found to reduce verbal and physical agitation. However, preferred music had the strongest effect on levels of physical agitation, and simulated presence was most effective in reducing verbal agitation. (Wall 111)”
Agitation? Like Noisy Kids in Restaurants?
No, not exactly. Agitation in this context is a little different. Here’s how the researchers define this form of agitation.
“Agitation is defined as an inappropriate verbal, vocal or motor activity that is not explained by needs. (Wall 109)”
So in other words, that unwarranted insult? That random outburst at the lunch table? Agitation. And now we know that auditory inputs, like music, remedy some of that.
It’s Not Just Ireland
Wall found this to be true in multiple research studies around the world. Here are positive effects they found around the world:
In General:
Following a thematic analysis of the literature, three themes consistently emerged. These themes were the effects of music therapy on agitated behaviours; music therapy and the role of carers; and the positive effects of music therapy on mood and socialization. (Wall 109)
Iceland:
The findings revealed a decrease in symptoms, especially of aggresive behaviour and anxiety. (Wall 110)
Taiwan:
The researchers did report an overall reduction of agitated behaviours. The occurrence of agitated behaviours in the experimental group decreased significantly compared to that of the control group… (Wall 110)
Sweden:
The findings revealed that background music produced a reduction in aggression and agitation, including anxiety and irritability, and an increase in sensory awareness, including smiling and eye contact. (Wall 110)
South Korea:
Levels of agitation, including hallucinations, aggression, and irritability, were reduced in the patients who received the music intervention, and subsequently the caregiver’s distress, anxiety and irritability were reduced. (Wall 110)
So we know, pretty clearly, that agitation and its related behaviors can be alleviated by using music. But there’s one final piece that really helps with Music Therapy.
Caregivers and Music Therapy
““Cohen-Mansfield (1999) identified agitated behaviours as one of the most challenging care problems for caregivers. Care is enhanced when levels of agitation can be reduced.” (Wall 110)”
In other words reducing agitation makes it easier for caregivers to administer care.
Wall even places that quality of care leads to a greater quality of life.
“Every patient with dementia will, in time, require the care of others and the quality of that care will directly affect the quality of life for the patient. (Wall 110)”
In conclusion we might say that music therapy begins turning a sort of positive wheel. The therapy reduces agitation which makes it easier for caregivers to give care which increases quality of life which reduces agitation! It’s something we want to work on but we want to encourage -- Music really is the spice of life. I leave you with this great quote that Wall et al state towards the end of their research:
“… music therapy functions to provide islands of arousal, awareness, familiarity, comfort, community and success like nothing else can, even into the late stages of dementia when responses to other stimuli are non-existent. (Wall 112)”
Works Cited:
Wall M et al. The effects of music therapy for older people with dementia. British Journal of Nursing. 2010; 19(2) 108 - 113.