Rachel’s Blog

I have been overwhelmed with emails and messages from people who are interested in Singing for the Brain, who would like to train as leaders, or who would like to take their friend or relative to a group.

This is wonderful because it says to me there are lots of people who are convinced that singing really makes a difference to the lives of people living with dementia, and their friends, families and carers; and it also says there are many people who are prepared to train to do this work – fantastic news!

There are several different roles in a Singing for the Brain group. The most obvious one is Singing Facilitator, although this role is supported by volunteers, either specific ‘singing volunteers’ who might be called upon to lead a section of the group in part of a round, and volunteers who might not consider themselves ‘singers’ but who help out with tea and coffee, welcoming people and giving out name badges if these are used, arranging the chairs, assisting with the giving out of books, and helping people find their page numbers or to use different percussion instruments. It’s important also to recognise the hard work the dementia support workers (employed by the Alzheimer’s Society) put in to make these groups happen, and the support we have from the mental health trust who send Community Psychiatric Nurses and Occupational Therapists to be additional supports.

There is some Singing facilitator and volunteer training available on an ad hoc basis, mainly based in the South West region as this is currently the only place where there is a Singing for the Brain Co-ordinator. If you don’t live in this region, the best thing to do is to get in touch with your local Alzheimer’s Society office to find out if there is something going on in your area, or to register your interest. For more information, please visit the Alzheimer’s Society website page on Singing for the Brain: http://www.alzheimers.org.uk/site/scripts/documents_info.php?documentID=760

On 28th October I joined a Singing for the Brain session supported by the Alzheimers Society. It was a cold, rainy day, but despite this there was a good number of people there – 20 in total with 9 clients and 11 carers/musicians/volunteers. The session began with tea and cake and as people arrived they were given name labels.

An opening song welcomed everybody and affirmed each person by name – always an important aspect of building relationships within a group. An interesting action to this song was to pass around a long ribbon which each person held – and then for everyone to raise their arms, guiding people’s hands with the ribbon, if they were unsure or unco-ordinated for any reason, and it was a way of linking each person together.

My criticism of the session was that it perhaps ‘rattled through’ the repertoire a bit too quickly. We really covered a lot of songs and at times I had the feeling that the clients’ voices were being ‘pasted over’. Another aspect which I, and perhaps others, found difficult was the noise level, especially during the songs which included percussion instruments. This may have been because of the acoustics of the room.

A real challenge for people providing participatory music for older people with dementia is being able to guide them through repertoire in a way which allows that person to express themselves and to engage with others around them.

This session was enjoyed by most of the participants present. It also felt like a great way of bringing together carers going through similar situations. One woman I spoke to who was caring for her husband who had had a stroke commented most strongly on the social aspect of the singing group, and the importance of being with other people, which ties in with a school of thought that social relationships are a major determinant on health.