Persons with dementia (PWDs) can suffer from major cognitive impairment, but are known to retain an ability to express both negative and positive emotions. Negative expressed emotions and resistance make caregiving problematic. Music Therapeutic Caregiving (MTC) – when caregivers sing for or together with PWDs during care – has been shown to decrease PWDs' negative expressed emotions and resistance, and increase positive expressed emotions. This single case study included two cases, two women with severe dementia, and measures expressed emotions and expressions of resistiveness to care during “usual” morning care situations and morning care situations with MTC. Video observations were conducted resulting in four recordings of usual morning care and four recordings of morning care with MTC. For analysis, the Observed Emotion Rating Scale and Resistiveness to Care Scale were used. Results revealed that in both cases, expressions of resistant behavior and negative emotions decreased, while expressions of positive emotions increased during morning care situations with MTC. The authors conclude that MTC may be an effective method for caregivers to use to facilitate care situations with PWDs, and also a way for PWDs to experience care situations as less unpleasant, and more joyful.
BACKGROUND: For persons with dementia, receptive music may reduce negative expressions and increase positive ones. Caregiver singing (CS) is an intervention aimed at facilitating care situations and involves caregivers singing for or together with persons with dementia during care activities. In the literature, CS is commonly addressed as a music activity rather than a care intervention. The aim was to describe caregivers' experiences of the reactions of persons with dementia when using CS and receptive music in dementia care.
METHOD: The data comprised three focus group interviews with 12 professional caregivers in dementia care, analysed using qualitative content analysis.
RESULTS: the analysis resulted in two themes: "CS increases interaction and builds companionship" and "Receptive music soothes, awakens memories and reflects the person's self".
CONCLUSION: Both CS and receptive music was shown to have positive influences, and while the results were sometimes intertwined, CS was shown to better facilitate problematic care situations.