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Casio study further demonstrates value of music therapy for people with dementia
By Chris Cooke | Published on Thursday 1 September 2022
The study commissioned by Casio Music UK into how music can positively impact people living with dementia has published its results. The research – titled ‘Light Up My Life’ and produced in partnership with Music For Dementia and charitable care provider MHA – was announced last year.
The people behind the study explain that “Casio provided lighting key keyboards to care homes to use in music therapy and music activity sessions that engaged over 100 residents living with dementia, to improve music participation and ultimately, enhance their quality of life. The sessions that took place were a mix of one-to-one sessions and group sessions, dependent on the structure of the care home”.
“The key lighting technology meant that participants were able to simply follow the lights on the keyboard, which would guide them to the correct notes without any prior musical knowledge or previous piano playing experience”, they add. “A range of well-known pieces of music were pre-loaded into the keyboards for residents to enjoy”.
Based on the experiences of the participating residents in those care homes, as well as the observations of music therapists and care home staff, the study concludes that “residents displayed improved signs of memory recall after playing the keyboard and producing a recognisable song – a statement that was supported by 79% of music therapists and 64% of care home staff”.
Meanwhile, “95% of music therapists and 71% of care home staff were in agreement that playing the keyboard increased or enhanced opportunities for social interaction for the residents with staff and relatives”.
Commenting on the Casio study, Grace Meadows, Campaign Director at Music for Dementia, says: “The incredible results from the ‘Light Up My Life’ report really speak for themselves and further cements previous research on the unlimited power that music has to enhance the lives of those living with dementia and beyond”.
“It’s innovative, creative initiatives such as ‘Light Up My Life’ which demonstrate how easy it can be for carers to make music a part of good dementia care”, she goes on. “We would like to see this programme rolled out nationwide as a way of supporting carers to provide the best possible personalised care for those living with dementia”.
Neil Evans, Head of Casio EMI, adds: “We are pleased to announce the results of this important research project and proud to see how our keyboards have played a vital role in providing access to music therapy for care home residents living with dementia”.
“We’re passionate about the role of music in care”, he continues, “and hopeful that the research and learnings we are revealing today can be used as a springboard to accelerate and improve the accessibility of music and music therapy for those living with dementia and those who care for them, across the nation and worldwide. It’s clearly evident that the power of music can significantly enrich the quality of life for those living with dementia and their carers”.
