GPs urged to prescribe music therapy for dementia

A PEER has called on doctors to prescribe music for dementia patients, saying it is “more cost-effective” than medication.

Baroness Greengross, chief executive of the International Longevity Centre – UK, said music therapy was a “shortterm miracle to once again have your loved one right there in the present with you”.

She issued the call in the lead-up to a revamp of the Government’s National Dementia Strategy later this year. Officials had committed to updating the plan and to include music within its recommendations.

Lady Greengross said: “For carers, music’s unique ability to transform people’s lives – even for an instant – cannot be underestimated. It can be like a short-term miracle to once again have your loved one right there in the present with you. Dementia is destructive, but it needn’t be a death sentence.

“We need to look for innovative ways to improve the quality of life for people with the condition and ensure they can stay connected to their loved ones.

“Music therapy has been shown to be the most effective type of non-pharmacological intervention for reducing the behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia,” she said. “We know that singing is good for you.”

Lady Greengross, a crossbench independent member of the House of Lords since 2000, added: “At a time when the health and social care sector is stretched beyond belief, we need to consider the potential savings that can be made using musical care treatment.

“Music is a significantly more costeffective non-pharmacological intervention than other interventions such as antipsychotic medication. Music therapy has been proven to reduce agitation and the need for medication in 67 per cent of people with dementia.”

The Department of Health and Social Care said: “Music therapy can have a positive impact on people living with dementia, helping them with agitation and depression symptoms. We welcome these innovative approaches.”