Objective
To summarise the evidence regarding the impact of individualised music listening on persons with dementia.
Methods
Six electronic databases (CINAHL, Medline, ProQuest, PsycINFO, Music Periodicals and Cochrane) were searched up to July 2018 for randomised controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating the efficacy of individualised music listening compared to other music and non–music‐based interventions.
Results
Four studies were included. Results showed evidence of a positive impact of individualised music listening on behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSDs) including agitation, anxiety and depression and physiological outcomes. Evidence for other outcomes such as cognitive function and quality of life was limited.
Conclusions
The limited evidence suggests individualised music listening has comparable efficacy to more resource‐intensive interventions. However, there was a small number of RCTs and some outcomes were evaluated by a single study. This limits the conclusions drawn, warranting more RCTs evaluating other outcomes beyond the BPSDs.
Objective: To explore the experiences and perceptions of staff regarding the use of individualised music for people with dementia living in residential aged care. Methods: A qualitative descriptive methodology was used. Methods included a focus group and face-to-face interviews, open-ended responses to a pre-post survey and relevant clinical notes about older participants' responses. Qualitative content analysis was used to analyse data. Results: There were four themes: (1) transcendental reminiscing, the calm, the joy and the elation; (2) optimism, excitement and the snowball effect; (3) pitching in for older person, it is not rocket science and the hurdles; and (4) music beyond the intervention. Conclusions: Overall, the individualised music was a generally positive experience.While some older participants reported discomfort with the use of headphones, staff concerns related to care and accessibility of music equipment.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.