Music Engagement as Part of Everyday Life in Dementia Caregiving Relationships at Home

Theresa A Allison^{1

2}, Jennie M Gubner^{3

4}, Krista L Harrison^{1

5}, Alexander K Smith^{1

2}, Deborah E Barnes^{6

7}, Kenneth E Covinsky^{1

2}, Kristine Yaffe^{6

8}, Julene K Johnson⁹

Affiliations

¹ Division of Geriatrics, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA.
² San Francisco Veterans Affairs (VA) Health Care System, Geriatrics, Palliative and Extended Care Service Line, San Francisco, California, USA.
³ School of Music, College of Fine Arts, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA.
⁴ Applied Intercultural Arts Research Program, Graduate College, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA.
⁵ Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA.
⁶ Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA.
⁷ Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA.
⁸ Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA.
⁹ Institute for Health & Aging, School of Nursing, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA.

PMID: 38158775
PMCID: PMC11194631
DOI: 10.1093/geront/gnad174

Music Engagement as Part of Everyday Life in Dementia Caregiving Relationships at Home

Theresa A Allison et al. Gerontologist. 2024.

. 2024 Jul 1;64(7):gnad174.

doi: 10.1093/geront/gnad174.

Authors

Theresa A Allison^{1

2}, Jennie M Gubner^{3

4}, Krista L Harrison^{1

5}, Alexander K Smith^{1

2}, Deborah E Barnes^{6

7}, Kenneth E Covinsky^{1

2}, Kristine Yaffe^{6

8}, Julene K Johnson⁹

Affiliations

¹ Division of Geriatrics, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA.
² San Francisco Veterans Affairs (VA) Health Care System, Geriatrics, Palliative and Extended Care Service Line, San Francisco, California, USA.
³ School of Music, College of Fine Arts, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA.
⁴ Applied Intercultural Arts Research Program, Graduate College, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA.
⁵ Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA.
⁶ Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA.
⁷ Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA.
⁸ Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA.
⁹ Institute for Health & Aging, School of Nursing, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA.

PMID: 38158775
PMCID: PMC11194631
DOI: 10.1093/geront/gnad174

Abstract

Background and objectives: Emerging evidence suggests music-based interventions can improve the well-being of people living with dementia, but little is known about the ways in which music might support dementia caregiving relationships as part of everyday life at home. This study examined music engagement in the context of daily life to identify patterns of music engagement and potential targets for the design of music-based interventions to support well-being.

Research design and methods: This ethnographic, in-home study of people living with dementia and their family and professional care partners used methods from ethnomusicology, including semistructured interviews and in-home participant observation with a focus on music engagement.

Results: A total of 21 dyads were purposively recruited for diversity in terms of gender, ethnicity/race/heritage, caregiving relationship, and music experiences. Despite participants' diverse music preferences, 3 distinct music engagement patterns emerged. (a) Professional care partners intentionally integrated music listening and singing into daily life as part of providing direct care. (b) Family care partners, who had prior dementia care nursing experience or family music traditions, integrated music into daily life in ways that supported their personal relationships. (c) In contrast, family care partners, who lacked dementia care experience and had high levels of caregiver burden, disengaged from prior music-making.

Discussion and implications: The distinct music engagement patterns reflect different needs on the part of dyads. It is important to continue to support dyads who engage in music daily and to consider developing music-based interventions to support well-being among dyads who have become disengaged from music.

Keywords: Humanities; Musicking; Qualitative research; Quality of life; Social well-being.

Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America 2023.

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Conflict of interest statement

D. E. Barnes is a co-inventor of the Preventing Loss of Independence through Exercise (PLIÉ) and Paired PLIÉ programs, which are mind–body group movement programs for people living with dementia that include personally meaningful music. She has the potential to benefit financially from research supporting the benefits of music. The other authors have no conflict of interest to declare.

References

1. Allison, T. A. (2015). Recording the life review: A case study from the medical humanities. In Levine V. L. & Bohlman P. V. (Eds.), This Thing Called Music (pp. 3–14). Rowman and Littlefield.
1. Allison, T. A., Balbino, R. T., & Covinsky, K. E. (2019). Caring community and relationship centred care on an end-stage dementia special care unit. Age and Ageing, 48(5), 727–734. 10.1093/ageing/afz030 - DOI - PubMed
1. Allison, T. A., Gubner, J. M., Oh, A., Harrison, K. L., Pham, K., Barnes, D. E., Johnson, J. K., Covinsky, K. E., & Smith, A. K. (2021). Meaningful activities and sources of meaning for community-dwelling people living with dementia. Journal of the American Medical Directors Association, 23, 1191–1196.e1. 10.1016/j.jamda.2021.08.009 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
1. 2023 Alzheimer’s disease facts and figures. (2023). Alzheimer’s & Dementia: Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association, 19(4), 1598–1695. 10.1002/alz.13016 - DOI - PubMed
1. Baird, A., & Thompson, W. F. (2018). The impact of music on the self in dementia. Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, 61(3), 827–841. 10.3233/JAD-170737 - DOI - PubMed

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Music Engagement as Part of Everyday Life in Dementia Caregiving Relationships at Home

Affiliations

Music Engagement as Part of Everyday Life in Dementia Caregiving Relationships at Home

Authors

Affiliations

Abstract

Conflict of interest statement

References

Publication types

MeSH terms

Grants and funding

LinkOut - more resources

Full Text Sources

Medical