The Nursing Home as Village: Lessons from Ethnomusicology

Beyond health and well-being: transformation, memory and the virtual in older people’s music and dance

“…Yet while the study presents diverse and sensitive research findings, it does not explore theoretically how such meaning-making has occurred, or how and why it might contribute an abstract (and in this case otherwise undefined) sense of ''well-being.' ' Allison's (2010) ethnomusicological study of songwriting in nursing homes directly challenges the widespread lack of investigation into such processes. Allison explores how the creation and performance of music enables institutionalised older people to transcend their increasing physical, cognitive and social restrictions, focusing on the ''how and why'' of participants' responses to creative activities.…”

“…Allison explores how the creation and performance of music enables institutionalised older people to transcend their increasing physical, cognitive and social restrictions, focusing on the ''how and why'' of participants' responses to creative activities. Allison (2010) notes how the pioneering work of gerontologist Gene Cohen has left us with a challenge; while the field has generated increasing evidence as to the benefits of creative activities, we remain uncertain to ''how creativity fits into late life learning and why it is important'' (Allison 2010: 276). In answer to this lack of scholarly attention, she advocates the use of ethnographic approaches, highlighting the need for methodologies better able to respond to the ''inherently subjective questions'' of ''process and meaning'' (Allison 2010: 277).…”

Dancing to the music of time: An experiential learning exercise in dementia care

“…Use of music is therefore most likely to be beneficial if it is personally meaningful and linked to the life history of the person with dementia. Indeed Allison (2010) suggests that music is one of the main ways that staff and residents can work together to make care environments feel like homes rather than institutions.…”

“…As recommended by Allison (2010) students identified numerous various ways of using music and music-related knowledge to make the care environments they work in feel like homes rather than institutions. Several provided specific innovative and creative examples of the strategies they were now using to go about this.…”

“…Use of music is therefore most likely to be beneficial if it is personally meaningful and linked to the life history of the person with dementia. Indeed Allison (2010) suggests that music is one of the main ways that staff and residents can work together to make care environments feel like homes rather than institutions.In spite of what would appear to be a sound evidence base for the use of music to enhance quality of life for people with dementia, however, music is still most often used as a background to dementia care practice, and tends to be chosen by staff rather than clients.There is less evidence of the use of music to initiate and sustain meaningful interaction with clients who have dementia. Organised activities based on music often have a quiz format which only serves to emphasise difficulties with recall and can lead to further stigma and social exclusion (Capstick 2011).…”