Investigating group singing activity with people with dementia and their caregivers: Problems and positive prospects

Abstract

The current study investigated the results of a 6-week singing program targeted for older individuals with dementia and their caregivers. Participants were from: a) a residential care unit within a retirement village with dementia clients and their site-based professional caregivers (mainly occupational therapists, but some care assistants); and b) a drop-in program organized by a dementia trust for clients living in the community, in which both client and spouse were asked to participate. The program, already tried and tested, had been developed with elderly clients mainly without dementia (see Davidson & Faulkner, 2010) but was modified to suit the new cohort and evaluated using standardiz..