Music therapy can play a valuable role throughout someone’s journey with dementia, forming a central part of their care. At the point of diagnosis, it can support them with processing the feelings around the diagnosis and coming to terms with living with the condition. As the condition progresses, music therapy can help to reduce the many symptoms and be used as part of a care plan to address needs. Towards the end of life, music therapy can continue to provide meaningful stimulation, support communication and connection. It can help to ease pain, reduce anxiety and enable people to feel like themselves

Music therapy can also be a space in which someone can leave a musical legacy for family and friends. This might be through songwriting, recording a version of a favourite song or composing a piece of music

To support an individual to access music therapy

If in a care setting, find out if the setting already has a music therapist as part of their team. If so, ask to meet with them. If not, ask whether it would be possible to work with a therapist to help meet the needs of the person you are caring for

If you need to find a therapist local to you, whether in a care setting or for at home, use  our Music Can Directory. You can also find individual music therapists through BAMT’s ‘Find a Therapist’ 

When you have a therapist, talk with them and the individual about the following:

• How music therapy can support them and be a part of the individual’s wider care plan (this could include thinking about funding)
• How you can have an assessment session and where this could take place
• Whether group or individual sessions would be most appropriate and how many sessions are recommended - they will be able to advise based on the needs of the individual
• How you can get started with music as a part of daily care routines

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