Live Music Within a Hospital Ward for Patients with Dementia.V1.1
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Ethnography of the environment of a hospital ward for patients with dementia, and the role in which music can play within this.
IRAS ID
206062
Contact name
Rosanna Mead
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Exeter
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 7 months, 1 days
Research summary
Since the commission of the King’s Fund programme, ‘Enhancing the Healing Environment’, there is an increasing awareness of the way in which hospital ward environments can affect the health and wellbeing of patients with dementia. It has been recognised that hospital stays can have a detrimental effect for patients with dementia. In their report ‘Counting the Cost: Caring for People with Dementia on Hospital Wards’, the Alzheimer’s Society found that up to 1 in 4 beds in General Hospitals are occupied by people with dementia, and that dementia appeared to worsen in 54% of patients during their hospital stay.
It is increasingly being recognised that using non-pharmacological activities such as live musical performances, in conjunction with a medical approach can benefit people living with dementia, and may reduce levels of agitation. The research project aims to explore the hospital experience and music’s role within it, observing the ‘spin off’ effects of live music performances for patients with dementia, and care staff, with a specific focus on how music affects patients who are displaying agitated behaviours.
This research follows on from a pilot study the CI conducted in 2013 as part of her Master’s Degree in Music Psychology (University of Sheffield). The study explored the effects of live music for patients with dementia at the Royal United Hospital; in particular the effect that live music had on agitation, mood and anxiety for patients with dementia. The results showed that music reduced agitation, improved mood and overall wellbeing. However, the methodology was mainly quantitative based, and it did not explore how music affects patients with dementia. The current study will take a more qualitative, grounded approach to exploring the hospital ward environment, and music’s role within this.REC name
South Central - Hampshire A Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
16/SC/0405
Date of REC Opinion
10 Nov 2016
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion