Music’s role in dementia care

WITH a rapidly ageing population and up to 50,000 dementia cases being missed during lockdown, there’s mounting concern and conversation around dementia in the UK. In this climate, quality and tailored dementia care is more pivotal than ever to maintain quality of life.

As England’s largest not-forprofit provider of care for people in later life, every day we see at first-hand how music transforms our residents’ wellbeing.

Our latest dementia music therapy project, launched in collaboration with Anglia Ruskin University’s Cambridge Institute for Music Therapy Research, aims to improve outcomes for our residents living with dementia through the transformative power of music, and enrich the care we provide to residents.

Anchor is one of the first carehome providers to implement music therapy sessions into its dementia care pathway. With

78% of the public calling for wider access to dementia music therapy, it’s encouraging to see its importance being recognised. However, now is the time for action.

Anchor is calling on the government to commit to implementing music therapy more widely in dementia care policies and pathways in its upcoming Dementia Care White Paper.

It must also ensure information and resources are available to everyone living with dementia following their diagnosis.

Asa Johnson, Dementia Services Improvement Manager,

Anchor, London.