Indirect Music Therapy Practice and Skill-Sharing in Dementia Care

Abstract

Public interest in the benefits of music for people with dementia has rapidly increased in recent years. In addition to clinical work with clients, music therapists are often required to support and train staff, families, and volunteers and skill-share some music therapeutic skills. Six music therapy researchers from six countries agreed it was timely to organize a roundtable and share their indirect music therapy practice and examples of skill-sharing in dementia care. This article was developed following the roundtable at the World Congress of Music Therapy in 2017 and further discussion among the authors. This process highlighted the diversity and complexity of indirect music therapy practice and skill-sharing, but some common components emerged, including: 1) the importance of making clinical decisions about when direct music therapy is necessary and when indirect music therapy is appropriate, 2) supporting the transition from direct music therapy to indirect music therapy, 3) the value of music therapy skill-sharing in training care home staff, 4) the need for considering potential risks and burdens of indirect music therapy practice, and 5) expanding the role of music therapist and cultivating cross-professional dialogues to support organizational changes. In indirect music therapy practice, a therapist typically works with carers and supporters to strengthen their relationships with people with dementia and help them further develop their self-awareness and sense of competence. However, the ultimate goal of indirect music therapy practice in dementia care remains the wellbeing of people living with dementia.

The art of yoik in care: Sami caregivers’ experiences in dementia care in Northern Norway

“…However, this study has also revealed that participants experience that yoik is not being prioritised or systematically applied in in-care settings, despite the positive potential the participants have observed. Applying music-based activities in a sustainable way is generally acknowledged as a challenge (McDermott et al, 2018), and in the case of yoik, even more so. In in-care settings, yoik still lives on the margins, although the yoiking participants in this study experienced that in-care use of yoik could enhance wellbeing if applied in daily life situations.…”

“…McDermott and colleagues suggest that music familiar to and preferred by the person with dementia connects him/her to his/her identity and sense of self, as music is closely linked to personal life events, life story and the individual personality (McDermott, Orrell & Ridder, 2014). Successful interventions in dementia care based on the use of familiar music have led to a countrywide implementation in Norway under the concept "Musikkbasert Miljøbehandling" (MMB) or Music-based environmental treatment (Myskja, 2012; Nasjonalt kompetansesenter for kultur, helse & omsorg), and within the international community of music and health professionals, similar measures are being investigated and implemented (McDermott et al, 2018;Ridder, Stige, Qvale & Gold, 2013).…”

Mindsong, music therapy and dementia care: collaborative working to support people with dementia and family carers at home

“…Baker and Yeates (2018) developed a therapeutic group songwriting intervention for family carers, which was designed to support their caring role; their qualitative findings showed that carers valued the shared group process and the opportunity to take time away from their caring responsibilities to reflect on their experiences. McDermott et al (2018) highlight the potential for optimising the benefits of music therapy through ‘indirect music therapy practice’, giving examples of various approaches where Music Therapists share skills and offer training to paid and unpaid caregivers in order to improve quality of daily care through the use of music.…”

The Use of Music and Music Therapy in Ameliorating Depression Symptoms and Improving Well-Being in Nursing Home Residents With Dementia

“…Depression symptoms in dementia is an ongoing issue as elderly are transitioning to nursing homes and experiencing cognitive decline ( 13 ). Although research has shown that many music therapists have developed techniques that may be easily duplicated by care staff to address symptoms in dementia ( 14 , 15 ), and nursing research has demonstrated positive effects of music incorporated during caregiving ( 10 , 16 ), few studies show how collaborative efforts between music therapy and nursing may help to maintain reduction of depression symptoms. For this study, we measure the effectiveness of a 2-weeks music therapy intervention followed by a music activity facilitated by certified nursing assistants (CNAs) trained to incorporate singing and music-with-movement into their caregiving activities.…”