None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
Relationship quality between community-dwelling people with dementia (PwD) and their family caregivers (FCG) is recognised as a major factor that influences health and wellbeing of both, and consequently impacts their ability to live together in the family home. The family home with familiar people and surroundings is recognised as the optimal care environment for PwD. Supporting PwD to remain in the family home also reduces care costs to individuals and society, and is recognised as a strategic priority by the Australian Government. The aim of this study was to determine the feasibility of delivering and measuring the effects of a therapeutic group singing and home-based music program on the primary outcome of relationship quality and secondary wellbeing outcomes for PwD and their FCGs. We wanted to test the feasibility of the study protocol, establish the appropriateness of the measures for answering the research questions, and collect pilot data to determine sample size for a randomised controlled trial. We also wanted to collect qualitative data through interviewing participants to gather information about their experience of the choir, home music program, and quantitative research measures. The Quantitative outcome measures to be trialled in this feasibility study include:: • Quality Carer Patient Relationship (QCPR) • Rating Anxiety in Dementia Scale (RAID) • Quality of Life – Alzheimer’s Disease (QoL-AD) • Rating Anxiety in Dementia Scale (RAID) • Quality of Life – Alzheimer’s Disease3 (QoL-AD) • Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Inventory – Short Form (CMAI-SF) • Apathy Evaluation Scale (AES) • Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) • Positive Aspects of Caregiving Questionnaire (PACQ) • Patient Health Questionnaire–9 (PHQ-9) • Flourishing Scale (FS) 15 PwD + FCG dyads will attend 20 weekly choir sessions facilitated by registered music therapists.. Eligible participants will be community-dwelling people with a diagnosis of dementia and family caregivers who provide the majority of care in the home. Outcome measure questionnaires will be completed prior to the intervention (baseline), midpoint (week 11), and following completion of 20 choir sessions (week 21). Interviews will be conducted with participants after their final assessment.
Interventions
Participants will attend 20 weekly 2-hour choir sessions consisting of singing and social interaction. 90 minutes of singing activities (vocal warm-ups, participant requested songs, round singing, and simple part singing) will be followed by 30 minutes for social interaction over refreshments. The intervention will be facilitated by 2 Registered Music Therapists in a public hospital. The music therapists will provide cues and modify songs and musical activities to maximise engagement for people
Participants will attend 20 weekly 2-hour choir sessions consisting of singing and social interaction. 90 minutes of singing activities (vocal warm-ups, participant requested songs, round singing, and simple part singing) will be followed by 30 minutes for social interaction over refreshments. The intervention will be facilitated by 2 Registered Music Therapists in a public hospital. The music therapists will provide cues and modify songs and musical activities to maximise engagement for people with dementia and also their family caregivers. They will also manage safety issues and negative responses to the intervention. The intervention also includes provision of education to participants on how to use their own music therapeutically at home (to promote relaxation and reminiscence) and recordings of songs from choir sessions to use as desired. This education will be provided in the form of written handouts to caregivers (designed specifically for this study) with tips and examples for how music can be used to manage behaviour and modify mood. Handouts will given out once at the start of the intervention period. The therapist will check in with caregivers regularly throughout the intervention and provide feedback and suggestions for how to use music therapeutically at home. Attendance logs will also be completed at each weekly choir session to monitor adherence to the intervention.
Sponsors
The University of Melbourne
Study design
Allocation
Non-randomised trial
Intervention model
Single group
Primary purpose
Treatment
Masking
Open (masking not used)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
Community-dwelling people living with dementia (PwD) and their co-residing family caregivers (FCG) will be eligible for this feasibility trial. Both PwD and FCG participants must have functional hearing and speak English. For PwD, inclusion criteria are: aged at least 60 years and a confirmed diagnosis of dementia, OR probable dementia (i.e. a cognitive impairment level of 12–24 on the Mini Mental State Exam OR features consistent with Alzheimer’s type dementia as per DSM-V. For FCG, inclusion criteria include age equal or greater than 18 years and either a spouse/partner, family member (eg. daughter or son), or close friend.
Exclusion criteria
Living in residential care at time of recruitment Unable to hear at all (deafness) Unable to speak English
Outcome results
None listed