{"id":6803,"date":"2023-08-16T09:01:01","date_gmt":"2023-08-16T09:01:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.dementiauk.org\/?page_id=6803"},"modified":"2026-03-18T16:10:05","modified_gmt":"2026-03-18T16:10:05","slug":"music-and-dementia","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.dementiauk.org\/information-and-support\/living-with-dementia\/music-and-dementia\/","title":{"rendered":"Music and dementia"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Music is an important part of life for many of us, including those living with dementia, from encouraging memories using specific songs to using music to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dementiauk.org\/information-and-support\/living-with-dementia\/tips-for-communication\/\">communicate<\/a> and connect with others. This page will help you understand the benefits of music therapy and how it can impact the brain. <\/span><\/p>\n<h2>What is music therapy?<a id=\"music-therapy\"><\/a><\/h2>\n<p>Music therapy involves a trained person working with an individual or a group, using music to help them express themselves and communicate with others.<\/p>\n<p>For some people with dementia, music therapy has been shown to improve their thinking, feeling, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dementiauk.org\/information-and-support\/health-advice\/changes-in-perception-and-hallucinations-in-dementia\/\">perception<\/a>, mood and behaviour. It can be used as part of a care plan.<\/p>\n<p>In many areas, there are music and singing groups for people with dementia, and care homes often run music-based activities too.<\/p>\n<p>You can also <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bamt.org\/music-therapy\/music-therapy-in-the-uk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">search<\/a> for music therapy services and independent music therapists.<\/p>\n<h2>How music can affect the brain and body<a id=\"brain-body\"><\/a><\/h2>\n<p>Research shows music can help reduce heart rate and blood pressure, relieve muscle tension and help people <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dementiauk.org\/information-and-support\/health-advice\/pain-and-dementia\/\">manage pain<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>It can also trigger feel-good hormones called endorphins, which may ease <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dementiauk.org\/information-and-support\/health-advice\/managing-anxiety-and-depression-in-a-person-living-with-dementia\/\">depression, anxiety<\/a> and agitation.<\/p>\n<p>Music can have a positive impact on people\u2019s mental abilities, too, improving:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>attention and concentration<\/li>\n<li>cognition (thinking)<\/li>\n<li>memory<\/li>\n<li>speech and non-verbal communication skills<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>All of these processes can be impaired by dementia, making music extremely beneficial for people with the diagnosis.<\/p>\n<h2>The benefits of music for people with dementia<a id=\"benefits\"><\/a><\/h2>\n<p>Listening to or engaging in music \u2013 for example, by singing, dancing or playing instruments \u2013 can help people with dementia develop and maintain relationships with others and improve their wellbeing. There are many ways in which music can provide joy to someone with dementia.<\/p>\n<h3>Memory<\/h3>\n<p>Music can help a person with dementia to connect with the past by evoking memories, feelings and emotions that they might otherwise find hard to express.<\/p>\n<p>For example, they may find it easier to recall memories when they hear pieces of music that are significant to them \u2013 perhaps their favourite song from the past or a lullaby they used to sing to their children.<\/p>\n<h3>Comfort<\/h3>\n<p>Certain types of music can reduce distress, and can be particularly comforting, particularly classical music or pieces from a person&#8217;s past, such as favourites from a happy time in their life.<\/p>\n<h3>Stimulation and engagement<\/h3>\n<p>Music can help to encourage mental stimulation and encourage a person to engage. Carers and family can help while listening to music by:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>holding their hand<\/li>\n<li>tapping to the rhythm<\/li>\n<li>singing or humming along<\/li>\n<li>moving or dancing with them<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Music can also help to encourage physical exercise, dance and movement.<\/p>\n<h2>What music to play<a id=\"play\"><\/a><\/h2>\n<h3>Songs from someone\u2019s life<\/h3>\n<p>It\u2019s important to choose music that the person knows and enjoys, as they will be more likely to react positively to it.<br \/>\nYou can do this by asking them or other family members and friends what they like, or by trying out music that was popular in the person\u2019s youth or within their cultural background.<\/p>\n<p>Start with quiet, gentle music and see how the person reacts.<\/p>\n<h2>Tips for listening to music with someone with dementia<a id=\"tips\"><\/a><\/h2>\n<p>Music can be used in a group or individually \u2013 both at home and in care settings. You could try:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>listening and singing along to favourite pieces of music<\/li>\n<li>listening to music played through headphones<\/li>\n<li>taking part in a music or singing group or choir<\/li>\n<li>playing instruments<\/li>\n<li>listening to a live performance<\/li>\n<li>compiling a personal playlist that they can listen to on a smart speaker, mobile phone or tablet<\/li>\n<li>watching a favourite musical<\/li>\n<li>listening to a radio station that plays music from the past<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Memory recall<\/h3>\n<p>You can use pictures or photos alongside the music to reminisce and share memories, this can also help them to tell their story and share their personal history.<\/p>\n<h2>Incorporating music into routines as a carer<a id=\"routine\"><\/a><\/h2>\n<p>It can be particularly helpful to use music when undertaking personal care, to help reduce distress.<\/p>\n<h2>Challenges of music therapy for people with dementia<a id=\"challenges\"><\/a><\/h2>\n<h4>When to stop<\/h4>\n<p>If the person seems uncomfortable or distressed, try something different \u2013 it may just be that they don\u2019t like that particular music or song, but remember that music can also trigger negative emotions or bad memories.<br \/>\nIf this happens, the best response is to turn off the music and sit with them to offer comfort and reassurance.<\/p>\n<h2>Sources of support<a id=\"support\"><\/a><\/h2>\n<p>If you need advice on music and dementia \u2013 or any other aspect of dementia \u2013 please call the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dementiauk.org\/information-and-support\/how-we-can-support-you\/admiral-nurse-dementia-helpline\/\">Dementia Helpline<\/a> on 0800 888 6678 (Monday-Friday 9am-9pm, Saturday and Sunday 9am-5pm, every day except 25th December), email <a href=\"mailto:helpline@dementiauk.org\">helpline@dementiauk.org<\/a> or you can also <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dementiauk.org\/information-and-support\/how-we-can-support-you\/book-a-virtual-appointment\/\">book a phone or virtual appointment<\/a> with an Admiral Nurse.<\/p>\n<h3>Dementia UK information<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dementiauk.org\/information-and-support\/health-advice\/coping-with-distress\/\">Coping with distress<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dementiauk.org\/information-and-support\/health-advice\/dealing-with-restlessness\/\">Dealing with restlessness<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dementiauk.org\/information-and-support\/health-advice\/managing-anxiety-and-depression-in-a-person-living-with-dementia\/\">Managing anxiety and depression in dementia<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Other resources<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/musicfordementia.org.uk\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Music for Dementia<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bamt.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">British Association for Musical Therapy<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.livemusicnow.org.uk\/working-with-older-people\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Live Music Now \u2013 working with older people<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.playlistforlife.org.uk\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Playlist for Life<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.alzheimers.org.uk\/get-support\/your-support-services\/singing-for-the-brain\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Singing for the Brain<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.musicmirrors.co.uk\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Music Mirrors \u2013 capturing the sound of memories<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/m4dradio.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">m4d radio \u2013 themed radio stations for people with dementia<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/musichelps.training\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Music Helps International<\/a><br \/>\nAn online course that will inspire and guide you to use music to improve the lives of people with dementia.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Music is an important part of life for many of us, including those living with dementia, from encouraging memories using specific songs to using music to communicate and connect with others. This page will help you understand the benefits of music therapy and how it can impact the brain. What is music therapy? Music therapy [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"parent":3725,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"on","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-6803","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.0 (Yoast SEO v27.3) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Music and dementia - Dementia UK<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Understand why music therapy is used and how it can help those with dementia with communication, emotion and more.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dementiauk.org\/information-and-support\/living-with-dementia\/music-and-dementia\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Music and dementia\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Dementia UK is a charity that provides Admiral Nurses for families affected by dementia. 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