Music reaches deeply into all aspects of human life. It helps distract us from pain or get a better sleep. It helps us manage feelings or shifts in our mood. Music can bring order for a confused mind and provide memory stimulation. It gives us inner peace and comfort. Because music reaches us on many levels, touching the whole person, it becomes an effective means of care.

Music is considered to be a natural choice by many experts in helping people living with dementia.

Singing is particularly beneficial in dementia care because it can benefit health on many levels. Singing, as a means of music-making, is particularly beneficial in dementia care because it is a healthy and meaningful activity. Singing encourages deep breathing, increases blood oxygenation and induces muscle tension release which provides relaxation. Singing provides a point of human contact.

Room 217’s PATHWAYS Singing Program is designed to enhance the quality of life for people living with dementia by encouraging social engagement with caregivers and peers. PATHWAYS is a research-informed, targeted singing program that provides 100s of hours of repeatable, multi-sensory and interactive programming for memory care. It is ready-to-use and flexible. It can be used in 1 on 1 or group settings, delivered on a tablet or TV, in LTC or day programs, by staff, family or volunteers. PATHWAYS can be purchased in physical copies at the Room 217 store, or is available digitally on the MUSIC CARE CONNECT  App.

The aim of the video series is to provide an expert-led resource that can be used repeatedly by paid and unpaid caregivers who may not be confident in leading music sessions and in particular singing programs, on their own. The video series is hosted by an experienced singer and engagement expert. Each episode uses 5 well-known songs that support the theme of the episode. The singing host invites participants to join in accompanied by the musical track. Activity booklets to support programming complement each episode. The video series is comprised of 13 episodes in three collections including Journeys, Inspiration and Season.

Pauline, a Recreation Manager at a long-term care home describes the value of using the PATHWAYS program for her residents with dementia. She notices that when participants are singing, it brings everyone together as a community, it’s a great leveller. Noone in the room is aware of who has dementia or who doesn’t, she explains, for that moment in time, everything is just normal.

Singing is an opportunity to actively engage in a form of communication where language has been affected by illness or trauma. The ability to sing is neurologically different from speech and is more instinctive than speech. Singing may also provide neurological pathways for memory retrieval as research suggests music pathways may still be intact in dementia.

Pauline says her favourite part of the PATHWAYS program is how it helps residents express emotions. She shares that participants shed tears recalling memories and tears of joy. Pauline tells us how it makes participants smile, laugh and connect with each other through music. Singing is a meaningful activity that may provide emotional connection and intimacy, connecting people living with dementia to prior experiences.

Pauline describes the power PATHWAYS has to encourage focus and concentration in the participants. They are fully engaged on the singing program, focused on the music itself. “It was like a peace that had come over the room”. Singing retains its value through all stages of the dementia trajectory. In early stages, singing is a viable and recognizable intervention as cognitive capacities are becoming lost.

Health care providers and family caregivers know that there is something unique about musical responses in individuals living with dementia. There may be severe cognitive loss and limited communication abilities, but the person with dementia may be able to identify a familiar tune. And research studies (see references below) verify these examples.

PATHWAYS is currently being used in over 900 care settings across Canada. 2025 promises a refresh of our program with 12 new episodes due to be released later this year. 

References

Baker FA, Lee Y-EC, Sousa TV, Stretton-Smith PA, Tamplin J, Sveinsdottir V et al. Clinical effectiveness of music interventions for dementia and depression in elderly care (MIDDEL): Australian cohort of an international pragmatic cluster-randomised controlled trial. The Lancet Healthy Longevity 2022; 3: e153–e165.

Bleibel M, Cheikh AE, Sadier NS, Abou-Abbas L. The effect of music therapy on cognitive functions in patients with Alzheimer’s disease: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Alzheimer’s Research & Therapy 2023; 15: 65.

Hofbauer LM, Ross SD, Rodriguez FS. Music‐based interventions for community‐dwelling people with dementia: A systematic review. Health Social Care Comm 2022; 30: 2186–2201.

Ito E, Nouchi R, Dinet J, Cheng C-H, Husebø BS. The Effect of Music-Based Intervention on General Cognitive and Executive Functions, and Episodic Memory in People with Mild Cognitive Impairment and Dementia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Recent Randomized Controlled Trials. Healthcare 2022; 10: 1462.

Myrenget ME, Rustøen T, Myskja A, Småstuen M, Rangul V, Håpnes O et al. The effect of a music-based caregiving intervention on pain intensity in nursing home patients with dementia. A cluster-randomized controlled study. Pain 2024. doi:10.1097/j.pain.0000000000003156.

Sousa L, Neves MJ, Moura B, Schneider J, Fernandes L. Music‐based interventions for people living with dementia, targeting behavioral and psychological symptoms: A scoping review. Int J Geriat Psychiatry 2021; 36: 1664–1690.

Van Der Steen JT, Smaling HJ, Van Der Wouden JC, Bruinsma MS, Scholten RJ, Vink AC. Music-based therapeutic interventions for people with dementia. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2018; 2018. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD003477.pub4.

Vidas D, Carrasco R, Kelly RM, Waycott J, Tamplin J, McMahon K et al. Everyday Uses of Music Listening and Music Technologies by Caregivers and People With Dementia: Survey and Focus Group Study. Journal of Medical Internet Research 2024; 26: e54186.