Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2019 Feb 12:14:301-319.
doi: 10.2147/CIA.S189486. eCollection 2019.

Positive physical and mental outcomes for residents in nursing facilities using music: a systematic review

Michael Mileski  1 , Matthew Brooks  1 , Alison Kirsch  1 , Fengmei Lee  2 , Amanda LeVieux  1 , Alexandra Ruiz  3
Affiliations

Positive physical and mental outcomes for residents in nursing facilities using music: a systematic review

Michael Mileski et al. Clin Interv Aging. .

Abstract

Objectives: The objective of this study was to investigate the applicability and effectiveness of the use of music in providing for positive physical and mental outcomes in nursing facilities.

Problem: Lack of quality of life (QOL) has been a significant issue within nursing facilities. With the rise in census due to Baby Boomers, it has become imperative to find ways to increase overall QOL.

Methods: The research team participants conducted a literature review via Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature, PubMed (MEDLINE), and Academic Search Ultimate to collect data regarding the use of music to provide for positive physical and mental outcomes in nursing facilities.

Results: The most common facilitator mentioned was increased socialization or communication (18%), followed by reduced depression (12%), improved physical health (11%), and reduced agitation or behavior problems (9%). The most common barriers were as follows: cannot isolate effects of music (26%), cost prohibitive (11%), difficult to implement (11%), and no significant improvements in QOL or well-being (11%).

Conclusion: The use of music showed positive outcomes for residents in nursing facilities and should be considered for implementation as part of the normal culture within such facilities.

Keywords: music; music therapy; nursing facilities; outcomes; skilled nursing.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Disclosure The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
PRISMA diagram.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. United States Census Bureau Older people projected to outnumber children for first time in U.S. history [press release] (2018 Mar 13) [cited Jul 29, 2018] [Accessed July 29, 2018]. Available from: https://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2018/cb18-41-population-p....
    1. Harris-Kojetin L, Sengupta M, Park-Lee E. Long-term care providers and services users in the United States: data from the national study of long-term care providers, 2013–2014 National Center for Health Statistics. Vital Health Stat. 2016;3(38):x–xii. 1–105. - PubMed
    1. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation . The Future Supply of Long-term Care Workers in Relation to the Aging Baby Boom Generation: Report to Congress [Internet] Washington (DC): HHS; 2003. May 14, [Accessed July 29, 2018]. [cited Jul 29, 2018] Available from: http://aspe.hhs.gov/daltcp/reports/ltcwork.htm.
    1. Fu MC, Belza B, Nguyen H, et al. Impact of group-singing on older adult health in senior living communities: a pilot study. Arch Gerontol Geriatr. 2018;76:138–146. - PubMed
    1. Waltman E. Music therapy. Nursing & Allied Health Resources Section (NAHRS) Newsletter [serial on the Internet] 2018 Apr;38(2):5–7.

Publication types