Haven: Sharing receptive music listening to foster connections and wellbeing for people with dementia who are nearing the end of life, and those who care for them. (July 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Garabedian, Claire E; Kelly, Fiona
• Is Part Of: Dementia. Volume 19:Number 5(2020)
• Page Start: 1657
• Page End: 1671
• Publication Date: 2020-07
• Subjects: dementia -- therapeutic music -- end of life -- communication -- interaction -- palliative care; Psychiatric social work -- Periodicals; Social work with older people -- Periodicals; Dementia -- Periodicals; 362.19683005
• DOI: 10.1177/1471301218804728
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1471-3012

Abstract

This paper reports on research exploring the effects of music played for 12 dyads: a care home resident ('resident') with dementia and someone closely connected to him/her ('carer'). Six individualised music interventions (3 live and 3 pre-recorded) were played by the first author on solo cello within five Scottish non-NHS care homes. All interventions were video-recorded. Semi-structured interviews with carer participants, key staff, and managers explored their responses to interventions. Thick descriptions of video recordings and interview transcripts were thematically coded using Nvivo. A key finding was that structural elements of the interventions combined with characteristics of the music played facilitated an internalised experience of 'haven'; sonically transporting listeners away from their present reality and fulfilling the basic human needs for inclusion, comfort, identity, occupation and attachment.