Telehealth music therapy for persons with dementia and/or caregivers

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 206-210
Author(s):  
Amy Clements-Cortés ◽  
Melissa Mercadal-Brotons ◽  
Tereza Raquel Alcântara Silva ◽  
Shirlene Vianna Moreira

The COVID-19 pandemic has placed many restrictions on social interaction. Although these restrictions are challenging for everyone, they are particularly difficult for older adults who are often isolated. While telehealth has been around for a number of years, it had not been practiced to any great extent by music therapists until COVID-19. Telehealth will continue to prove valuable even when the pandemic ends, and as a result, it is timely to assess the benefits and recommendations for best practices. This paper provides a starting point of reflection for telehealth for persons with dementia, offering practical recommendations and implications for planning and training.

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 930-930
Author(s):  
Tara Rose ◽  
Elyse Manzo ◽  
Katherine Erickson ◽  
Joshua Valenzuela

Abstract Music interventions and music therapy have become more common globally as nonpharmacological treatment options for memory loss, pain management, reduction of behavioral and psychological symptoms, and increased quality of life. Knowledge of multiethnic interventions is important when creating evidence-based programs within culturally diverse countries, such as the U.S. The purpose of this systematic review is to analyze music interventions for older adults across the globe to better understand emerging best practices. A review of all trials registered at clinicaltrials.gov and registries in the WHO Registry Network containing the key words “music therapy” were included, regardless of intervention type. Of the 627 studies generated, 449 met the eligibility criteria, with 11% enrolling only older adults and 89% enrolling older adults along with other age groups. Studies were conducted in 6 continents, 48 countries (23% in the U.S.), and in 23 languages. Music interventions for specific medical conditions (64%) or medical procedures (24%) were the primary foci in studies. While studies crossed multiple continents, less than 2% referenced ethnicity or culture in the study details. Detailed data on intervention types, demographics, measures, settings, and methodology will be presented. Results suggest that best practices in music therapy are being developed world-wide for the multitude of health challenges faced by older adults and demonstrate the diversity of music interventions in both medical and community settings. Information from this review can be used to improve the implementation of music intervention programs and may be particularly beneficial in countries with diverse multicultural populations.


Data Science ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 1-21
Author(s):  
Caspar J. Van Lissa ◽  
Andreas M. Brandmaier ◽  
Loek Brinkman ◽  
Anna-Lena Lamprecht ◽  
Aaron Peikert ◽  
...  

Adopting open science principles can be challenging, requiring conceptual education and training in the use of new tools. This paper introduces the Workflow for Open Reproducible Code in Science (WORCS): A step-by-step procedure that researchers can follow to make a research project open and reproducible. This workflow intends to lower the threshold for adoption of open science principles. It is based on established best practices, and can be used either in parallel to, or in absence of, top-down requirements by journals, institutions, and funding bodies. To facilitate widespread adoption, the WORCS principles have been implemented in the R package worcs, which offers an RStudio project template and utility functions for specific workflow steps. This paper introduces the conceptual workflow, discusses how it meets different standards for open science, and addresses the functionality provided by the R implementation, worcs. This paper is primarily targeted towards scholars conducting research projects in R, conducting research that involves academic prose, analysis code, and tabular data. However, the workflow is flexible enough to accommodate other scenarios, and offers a starting point for customized solutions. The source code for the R package and manuscript, and a list of examplesof WORCS projects, are available at https://github.com/cjvanlissa/worcs.


Author(s):  
Lindsey Wilhelm ◽  
Kyle Wilhelm

Abstract In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, many music therapists in the United States turned to telehealth music therapy sessions as a strategy to continue services with older adults. However, the nature and perception of telehealth music therapy services for this age group are unknown. The purpose of this study was to describe music therapy telehealth practices with older adults in the United States including information related to session implementation, strengths and challenges, and adaptations to clinical practice. Of the 110 participants in the United States who responded to the survey (25.2% response rate), 69 reported implementing telehealth music therapy services with older adults and responded to a 32-item survey. Quantitative and qualitative analyses were conducted. Results indicated that while all participants had provided telehealth music therapy for no more than 6 months, their experiences with telehealth varied. Based on participant responses, telehealth session structure, strengths, challenges, and implemented changes are presented. Overall, 48% of music therapists reported that they planned to continue telehealth music therapy with older adults once pandemic restrictions are lifted. Further study on the quality, suitability, and acceptability of telehealth services with older adults is recommended.


Author(s):  
Susan C Gardstrom ◽  
James Hiller ◽  
Annie Heiderscheit ◽  
Nancy L Jackson

Abstract As music therapists, music is our primary realm of understanding and action and our distinctive way of joining with a client to help them attain optimal health and well-being. As such, we have adopted and advocate for a music-focused, methods-based (M-B) approach to music therapy pre-internship education and training. In an M-B approach, students’ learning is centered on the 4 music therapy methods of composing, improvising, re-creating, and listening to music and how these music experiences can be designed and implemented to address the health needs of the diverse clientele whom they will eventually encounter as practicing clinicians. Learning is highly experiential, with students authentically participating in each of the methods and reflecting on these self-experiences as a basis for their own clinical decision-making. This is differentiated from a population based (P-B) approach, wherein students’ attention is directed at acquiring knowledge about the non-musical problems of specific “clinical populations” and the “best practice” music interventions that are presumed to address these problems. Herein, we discuss both approaches, identifying the limitations of a P-B perspective and outlining the benefits of an M-B curriculum and its relevance to 21st-century music therapy practice.


Author(s):  
Martina C Bingham ◽  
Elizabeth K Schwartz ◽  
Anthony Meadows

Abstract Twelve music therapists were observed working clinically in 3 to 5 of their music therapy sessions and subsequently interviewed about their clinical work in order to further examine and define the essential characteristics of therapeutic singing in music therapy clinical practice. Observational and interview data were analyzed separately using procedures consistent with qualitative content analysis and then integrated to provide a comprehensive picture of these singing practices. Analysis of these data revealed 3 interrelated dimensions of therapeutic singing that were integrated into the larger realization of therapeutic singing: (1) foundational vocal skills, (2) vocal engagement, and (3) authenticity. Implications for the education and training of music therapy students, vocal health, and a reevaluation of the American Music Therapy Association’s competencies contextualize these findings for the profession as a whole.


2020 ◽  
pp. 138-153
Author(s):  
Raymond A. R. MacDonald ◽  
Graeme B. Wilson

This chapter focuses specifically upon the use of musical improvisation for health and well-being. It considers the fundamental features of improvisation and links them to possible improvements in health and well-being. A model showing the different types of communication processes involved is also presented. Improvisation has long been associated with the potential to bring about improvement in health. It is a key process used by music therapists and early texts outlining music therapy practice contained numerous examples of improvisational activities. This chapter draws these processes and potential outcomes together and explains four characteristics of musical improvisation identified as underpinning the health benefits: improvisation links conscious with unconscious processes; improvisation makes unique demands on cognition; improvisation facilitates creative interaction; and, improvisation enables the non-verbal expression of thoughts and feelings that may otherwise be difficult to express. When improvisation is viewed as a sophisticated form of social interaction, links to other non-musical contexts and the implications for health and well-being are clear.


1996 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 4-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gary Ansdell

This paper is designed as an introduction to a projected series on aspects of the meta-theory of music therapy. In common with pyschoanalysis (Mitchell 1993) and art therapy (Henzell 1995), music therapy inquiry is seeing an evolving reflexive trend which examines in several ways the nature of theory in the discipline — in order to clarify, contextualise and critically evaluate past and current trends (Aldridge 1990, 1993b; Aigen 1991, 1995; Ruud 1988). In the case of music therapy, meta-theory typically seeks to uncover the relationships between three domains: what music therapists do (praxis); what they say (discourse); and what they know (epistemology). This paper takes discourse as the starting-point and makes an introductory study of the nature of talking about music therapy. It centres its investigation on a simple qualitative-style experiment in which a group of listeners (of varying musical and music therapy experience) identify and describe a taped excerpt of music therapy. The results of this experiment are used to form the basis of a discussion about several commonly expressed ‘language problems’ in music therapy: the need for a ‘common language’; the verification of clinical data; describing musical behaviour and the boundary between description and interpretation.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 784-784
Author(s):  
Kuei-Min Chen

Abstract Music creates and fosters connection and interrelationships between individuals and encourages social interaction. Indeed, community-based interventions are a powerful way to engage older people. This presentation will provide an overview of music therapy and the impact it can have on the cognitive functioning of older people. Examples of music therapy interventions in the community can be found in nursing homes, hospitals, or communities. Differences in receptive (passive) music therapy and active music therapy will be discussed along with the impact these therapies may have on individuals experiencing cognitive decline. Moreover, studies of music therapy combined with other activities, such as exercise or art will be discussed. This research will be presented within the context of the recommendations put forth by the Global Council on Brain Health aimed at adults aged 50+.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caspar J. Van Lissa ◽  
Andreas Markus Brandmaier ◽  
Loek Brinkman ◽  
Anna-Lena Lamprecht ◽  
Aaron Peikert ◽  
...  

Adopting open science principles can be challenging and time-intensive, because doing so requires substantial conceptual education and training in the use of new tools. This paper introduces the Workflow for Open Reproducible Code in Science (WORCS): A step-by-step procedure that researchers can follow to make a research project open and reproducible. The purpose of the workflow is to lower the threshold for adoption of open science principles. It is based on established best practices, and can be used either in parallel to, or in absence of, top-down requirements by journals, institutions, and funding bodies. To facilitate widespread adoption, the WORCS principles have been implemented in the R package worcs, which offers an RStudio project template and utility functions for specific workflow steps. This paper introduces the conceptual workflow, discusses how it meets different standards for open science, and addresses the functionality provided by the R implementation, worcs. This paper is primarily targeted towards scholars conducting research projects in R, conducting research that involves academic prose, analysis code, and (optionally) tabular data. However, the workflow is flexible enough to accommodate other scenarios, and offers a sensible starting point for customized solutions. The source code for the R package and manuscript, and a list of user examples of WORCS projects, are available at https://github.com/cjvanlissa/worcs.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document