Between practice, policy and politics: Music therapy and the Dementia Strategy, 2009

Dementia ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 259-281 ◽  
Author(s):  
Neta Spiro ◽  
Camilla L Farrant ◽  
Mercédès Pavlicevic
Keyword(s):  
Music Therapy ◽  
Care Home ◽  
Dementia Care ◽  
Direct Experience ◽  
Music Therapists ◽  
Care Home Staff ◽  
Living Well ◽  
Department Of Health ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Relationship

Does current music therapy practice address the goals encapsulated in the UK Department of Health document, Living well with dementia: a national dementia strategy (the Dementia Strategy) published in 2009? A survey elicited the views of clients, family members, music therapists, care home staff and care home managers, about this question by focusing on the relationship between music therapy and the 17 objectives outlined in the Dementia Strategy. The results showed that the objectives that are related to direct activity of the music therapists (such as care and understanding of the condition) were seen as most fulfilled by music therapy, while those regarding practicalities (such as living within the community) were seen as least fulfilled. Although the responses from the four groups of participants were similar, differences for some questions suggest that people's direct experience of music therapy influences their views. This study suggests that many aspects of the Dementia Strategy are already seen as being achieved. The findings suggest that developments of both music therapy practices and government strategies on dementia care may benefit from being mutually informed.

scholarly journals Optimisation of dementia care in care homes: Dementia care framework (innovative practice)

Dementia ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 1316-1324
Author(s):  
Claire Royston ◽  
Gary Mitchell ◽  
Colin Sheeran ◽  
Joanne Strain ◽  
Sue Goldsmith
Keyword(s):  
Care Home ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Dementia Care ◽  
Care Homes ◽  
Spiritual Needs ◽  
Four Seasons ◽  
Care Partners ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Robust Evidence

There are an increasing number of people living with dementia in care home settings. Recent reports suggest that people who deliver care to residents living with dementia in care homes require specialist support to provide optimum care. To address this need Four Seasons Health Care, the largest provider of care homes within the UK today, sought to design a dementia care framework that enhanced the quality of life for people living with dementia in their care homes. The framework was designed using a robust evidence base, engagement with people living with dementia, their care partners, policy-writers, multidisciplinary professionals and people within the organisation. This paper describes the methodology behind the dementia care framework and outcomes data from the first phase (of 20 care homes that included the care of 451 people living with dementia). The main outcome was a significant improvement in the quality of the lives of residents across biological, psychological, social and spiritual needs.

The music matrix: A qualitative participatory action research project to develop documentation for care home music therapy services

2018 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 74-85
Author(s):  
Stuart Wood ◽  
Fiona Crow
Keyword(s):  
Action Research ◽  
Music Therapy ◽  
Participatory Action Research ◽  
Care Home ◽  
Participatory Action ◽  
Action Research Project ◽  
Research Project ◽  
Music Therapists ◽  
Client Participation ◽  
National Team

This article presents a small Participatory Action Research project involving music therapists working in a care home company, creating a documentation tool (The Music Matrix) that is fit for purpose. The project emerged out of a commonly held dissatisfaction with existing documentation among the Music Therapists in the care home company’s national team. The Music Matrix tool uses graphic notation to record observations of client participation, systematised into 10 dimensions of activity. The tool was developed in a cycle of practice and reflection between members of the music therapy team and stakeholders in the wider organisation. This was systematised in a three-stage trial process of profiling, peer review and thematic synthesis of feedback. Findings suggest that the tool was viewed to be useful in a number of aspects. First, it enabled insights for Music Therapists, in seeing patterns and recognising unacknowledged habits in their own practice. It helped show complex experience in an immediate graphic way. This was useful for reporting to stakeholders and was flexible in applying to numerous formats of practice. However, this flexibility also created a level of uncertainty for some research respondents, as the tool’s wide applicability does not have the appearance of objectivity afforded by other methods. Stakeholders saw applications beyond music therapy, particularly for non-musical care work and activities. Insights emerged regarding how Music Therapists can usefully meet the many demands that care documentation serves.

scholarly journals Speech production, music therapy and celebral palsy

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (2/2) ◽  
pp. 275-288
Author(s):  
Jiří Kantor ◽  
Lenka Dzidová
Keyword(s):  
Music Therapy ◽  
Speech Production ◽  
Speech Therapy ◽  
Music Therapists ◽  
Audio Recordings ◽  
Video And Audio ◽  
Materials Used ◽  
Therapy Interventions ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Therapy Intervention

This paper deals with the analysis of music therapy interventions focused on the development of speech production in individuals with cerebral palsy (CP). The paper summarizes the results of theoretical analysis of the development of communication for persons with CP from the perspective of special education, speech therapy and music therapy intervention. The research methodology was based on qualitative design with a combination of content analysis and interpretive approach to case studies. The aim of the research was to determine the relationship between the level of speech production of people with CP and goals of music therapy intervention, its methods and procedures and musical materials used in music therapy practice. The research sample consisted of 10 individuals with CP and different levels of speech production. Data collection was based on an in-depth case analysis of available data from documents, video and audio recordings, music therapy products and interviews with music therapists. The research results have identified four stages of music therapy intervention (pre-verbal, semantic, phonological and stadium of complex linguistic phenomena). In each stage typical goals, methods and tools were described.

scholarly journals Are we allowed to visit now? Concerns and issues surrounding vaccination and infection risks in UK care homes during COVID-19

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clarissa Marie Giebel ◽  
Kerry Hanna ◽  
Jacqueline Cannon ◽  
Paul Marlow ◽  
Hilary Tetlow ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
Care Home ◽  
Home Visitation ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Care Homes ◽  
Family Carers ◽  
Care Home Staff ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Impact

Background: Vaccination uptake in the UK and increased care home testing are likely affecting care home visitation. With scant scientific evidence to date, the aim of this longitudinal qualitative study was to explore the impact of both (vaccination and testing) on the conduct and experiences of care home visits. Methods: Family carers of care home residents with dementia and care home staff from across the UK took part in baseline (October/November 2020) and follow-up interviews (March 2021). Public advisers were involved in all elements of the research. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. Results: Across 62 baseline and follow-up interviews with family carers (n=26; 11) and care home staff (n=16; 9), five core themes were developed: Delayed and inconsistent offers of face-to-face visits; Procedures and facilitation of visits; Frustration and anger among family carers; Variable uptake of the COVID-19 vaccine; Misinformation, education, and free choice. The variable uptake in staff, compared to family carers, was a key factor seemingly influencing visitation, with a lack of clear guidance leading care homes to implement infection control measures and visitation rights differently. Conclusions: We make five recommendations in this paper to enable improved care home visitation in the ongoing, and in future, pandemics. Visits need to be enabled and any changes to visiting rights must be used as a last resort, reviewed regularly in consultation with residents and carers and restored as soon as possible as a top priority, whilst more education needs to be provided surrounding vaccination for care home staff.

scholarly journals A lost decade? A renewed case for adult social care reform in England

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-32
Author(s):  
JON GLASBY ◽  
YANAN ZHANG ◽  
MATTHEW R. BENNETT ◽  
PATRICK HALL
Keyword(s):  
Social Care ◽  
Current System ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Department Of Health ◽  
Working Age ◽  
Lost Decade ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Urgent Action

Abstract Drawing on a 2010 analysis of the reform and costs of adult social care commissioned by Downing Street and the UK Department of Health, this paper sets out projected future costs under different reform scenarios, reviews what happened in practice from 2010-19, explores the impact of the growing gap between need and funding, and explores the relationship between future spending and economic growth. In the process, it identifies a ‘lost decade’ in which policy makers failed to act on the warnings which they received in 2010, draws attention to the disproportionate impact of cuts on older people (compared to services for people of working age) and calls for urgent action before the current system becomes unsustainable.

scholarly journals A critical reflection on the Health and Care Professions Council Standards of Proficiency for music therapists: A critical disability studies perspective

2020 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 82-94
Author(s):  
Beth Pickard
Keyword(s):  
Music Therapy ◽  
Disability Studies ◽  
Critical Reflection ◽  
Disability Rights ◽  
Music Therapists ◽  
Critical Disability Studies ◽  
Disability Rights Movement ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Selection Of

This article takes the theoretical and philosophical lens of critical disability studies to critically reflect on the Health and Care Professions Council Standards of Proficiency for Arts Therapists. The discipline of critical disability studies, evolving from disability studies and the disability rights movement, is initially defined before multiple paradigms of disability are introduced as central tenets of these disciplines. The relationship between critical disability studies and music therapy is explored, with reference to seminal publications and the perceptions of music therapy within them. The Health and Care Professions Council Standards of Proficiency are then taken as a source of reflection to attempt to understand the perpetuation of medicalised perspectives in the profession and the potential friction between critical disability studies and music therapy. A selection of the Standards of Proficiency are analysed according to distinct paradigms of disability. Questions are posed to interrogate and contextualise the standards in relation to critical disability studies philosophy. From this critical reflection, a discussion emerges which reflects on the reach of these professional standards and how they might contribute to a continuing, outdated expert-model of music therapy in the United Kingdom. The article concludes by drawing these threads together in a series of recommendations to educators, practitioners and the wider profession.

Reflections on Music Therapy and Arts in Health

2008 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 83-87 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hilary Moss
Keyword(s):  
Music Therapy ◽  
Healthcare Services ◽  
Health Practice ◽  
Music Therapists ◽  
Healthcare Settings ◽  
Arts And Health ◽  
Health Practitioners ◽  
Key Issues ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Arts In Health

This article is a structured reflection on the author's experiences of both music therapy and arts and health work within healthcare services and an exploration of the relationship between these two distinct but related practices. It offers examples of various models of using music in healthcare settings, presents definitions of both music therapy and arts and health, and finally explores three key issues that arise when arts and health practice and music therapy meet in healthcare settings. The aim is to raise questions and encourage music therapists to reflect on how they can best interact with arts and health practitioners in their workplaces as well as how they can most effectively define their own work.

scholarly journals The arts in dementia care education: a developmental study

2015 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 18-23 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hannah Zeilig ◽  
Fiona Poland ◽  
Chris Fox ◽  
John Killick
Keyword(s):  
Care Home ◽  
Dementia Care ◽  
Developmental Study ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Policy Practice ◽  
Interactive Mode ◽  
Care Home Staff ◽  
The Arts ◽  
High Prevalence ◽  
Contextual Framework

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to outline the first stage of an innovative developmental study addressing the educational and emotional needs of dementia care home staff using arts-based materials. Design/methodology/approach – The arts workshop was developed using a mixed methods approach. This included ethnographic observation within a dementia care home, in-depth interviews with senior care home managers, a thematic analysis of focus groups and the development of a comic. At all stages, the multi-disciplinary project team collaborated closely with the care home staff. A comprehensive literature review of the policy, practice and academic background to dementia workforce education provided a contextual framework for the study. Perspectives from the medical humanities informed the project. Findings – Despite the high prevalence of people living with dementia in care homes, there is a lack of appropriate training for the workforce that provides their care. This study found that an arts-based workshop offering an interactive mode of education was an effective way to engage this workforce. The workshop empowered participants to recognise their skills and focus on person-centred care; reflecting current recommendations for dementia care. Research limitations/implications – The workshop was delivered in a single dementia care home and therefore findings may not be generalisable. In addition, the management did not take a direct part in the delivery of the workshop and therefore their views are not included in this study. Practical implications – The arts-based approach can offer a means of engaging the dementia care workforce in education linked to their experience of caring. Originality/value – The paper identifies the gap in relevant education for the dementia care workforce and outlines one possible way of addressing this gap using the arts.

A Study of the Way Music Therapists Analyse Their Work

1993 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 14-22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amelia Oldfield
Keyword(s):  
Music Therapy ◽  
Video Analysis ◽  
Learning Difficulties ◽  
Assessment Procedure ◽  
Music Therapists ◽  
Therapy Assessment ◽  
Advantages And Disadvantages ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Therapy Sessions ◽  
The Way

At present there is no standardised procedure for music therapy assessment in the UK. Music therapists use a wide variety of methods to review their clients' progress. This paper begins by examining some of these different procedures and looking at their advantages and disadvantages. A particular system of analysis developed by the author is then explained in detail. Information about four different clients with severe learning difficulties from this analysis is compared to information gained simultaneously through video-analysis. The results seem to indicate that the author's assessment procedure is an efficient way of collecting information about music therapy sessions with these clients. The paper then looks at whether this same procedure can be used with other types of clients. Suggestions for further investigations are made.

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