Take action for dementia

For Dementia Action Week, Music for Dementia is joining the Alzheimer’s Society to take action to improve the lives of people affected by dementia. 

Nearly 1 million people with dementia and their families are struggling to get the support and care that they need and deserve. Decades of underfunding and neglect have led to a care system that’s difficult to access and costly. Dementia isn’t curable yet, but the care system is.

Music for Dementia is supporting the call to ‘Cure the care system’ and encouraging everyone to take part in its Seven Days of Action challenge.

Grace Meadows, programme director at Music for Dementia said: ‘With the right support people with dementia can live a good quality of life, doing what matters most to them for as long as possible. We are encouraging people everywhere to take action over the next few days, no matter how small.

‘For example, you could choose a way to share music and enjoyment with someone that matters to you and see the difference it makes to their mood and sense of wellbeing.

‘Research and lived experiences show that music can reduce the distressing symptoms of dementia, stimulate people to express themselves and connect with their families and loved ones.

‘Care providers could join our Musical Care Taskforce – a coalition of organisations and individuals from across health, care, music and dementia sectors focused on making music a part of everyday care for people living with dementia.

‘The stark truth is that the number of people diagnosed with dementia is predicted to almost double by 2040 to 1.6 million. We can all play a role to transform the quality of life for people living with this condition.’

Music for Dementia, funded by The Utley Foundation, campaigns for people with dementia to have music as an integral part of their care whatever their circumstances.

We are calling on the music industry, philanthropists, and the health and social care sectors to help make it free and easy for people with dementia to access music.

Music for Dementia has partnered with Live Music Now to launch a new Musical Care Taskforce, which brings together more than 60 leading representatives from across health, social care, dementia and music with the aim to make music an essential element of dementia care.

It is also working closely with DCAN, an initiative from the Alzheimer’s Society, NHS England and Improvement, and the Coalition for Collaborative Care.

Photo Credit – Pixabay