Community Integrated Care supports Playlist for Life launch

Community Integrated Care is proud to be supporting the charity Playlist for Life to launch the UK’s first training for families and care professionals in delivering personal music therapy on iPods.

Playlist for Life is a unique approach that sees people who live with dementia enjoy person-centred playlists, made up of songs that represent the soundtrack of their life. This personally meaningful music enables people who live with dementia to reconnect with their treasured memories – helping to improve in their health, happiness and wellbeing.

On Wednesday 12^th August, the broadcaster and founder of Playlist for Life, Sally Magnusson, will visit our Carlingwark House service in Castle Douglas, to see how they have pioneered using the innovative programme. Here, she will launch Playlist for Life’s new online training programme for care professionals and the public, along with their Lead Trainer, Andy Lowndes. The launch celebration will be featured in both regional and care sector media, helping to raise awareness of the programme. 

Carlingwark House began using Playlist for Life in 2014 and has seen a significant impact on residents who have been using personal playlists. Its Team Leader and current Carer of the Year (Scottish Care Awards), Kelly Henderson says, “By developing personalised playlists, we’ve been able to improve the health, happiness and wellbeing of people who live with dementia, no matter how complex their needs are. When people listen to the songs that are important to them, they light up and reconnect with treasured memories. We’ve had amazing outcomes – from seeing people who normally do not communicate with words suddenly speak, to people eating and drinking better, after listening to their playlists.”

She continues, “But as importantly, Playlist for Life has given us a greater appreciation of the people we support and their life-history. This helps us to build stronger relationships with our residents and to support them better. We’re very excited that many more carers from across the country will be able to benefit from Playlist for Life, through their new online training course.”

This is just the latest effort from the Carlingwark Team to champion of this fantastic approach to music therapy. Earlier this year, Kelly joined our Deputy Chief Executive, Cath Murray-Howard, in presenting about it at the Scottish Caring and Dementia Congress.

Playlist for Life’s new interactive training for health and social care staff will be available on their website (www.playlistforlife.org.uk/how-to/training). It begins with Sally Magnusson telling the story of the effect of music on her mother’s dementia. It then explains the science of how music affects the brain, the detective work that creates the best playlist and how to implement it in care settings. Staff who complete the training are given access to an exclusive online community of practice, providing peer support and advice.

Playlist for Families, incorporating some of the same material but focussed on families, is a much-needed tool for people newly diagnosed with dementia and relatives caring for someone at home. The videos can be viewed online at (www.playlistforlife.org.uk/how-to/playlist-for-families/) or by requesting a free DVD.

Playlist for Life founder and chair, Sally Magnusson said, “For many years I watched the enlivening effect of music on my mother. It could bring her back to us like nothing else.  Since starting Playlist for Life two years ago I have seen people all over the country access their musical past on iPods and rediscover who they are, for periods at a time, in the same way. 

“Neuroscientists are uncovering the astonishing effects of music on virtually every region of our brain. Our new training programme explains what the science is telling us and how we can use music to do what no drug yet discovered can – reconnect a person to themselves and those they love.” 

Watch – Kelly and our Deputy CEO, Cath, discuss the impact of Playlist for Life