RESEARCH ARTICLE
Reactions of Persons with Dementia to Caregivers Singing in Morning Care Situations
Lena Marmstål Hammar*, 1, 2, Azita Emami 1, 3, Gabriella Engström 2, Eva Götell 1, 2
Article Information
Identifiers and Pagination:
Year: 2010Volume: 4
First Page: 35
Last Page: 41
Publisher ID: TONURSJ-4-35
DOI: 10.2174/1874434601004010035
PMID: 21249163
PMCID: PMC3023064
Article History:
Received Date: 10/3/2010Revision Received Date: 17/8/2010
Acceptance Date: 24/9/2010
Electronic publication date: 5/11/2010
Collection year: 2010
open-access license: This is an open access article licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/) which permits unrestricted, non-commercial use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the work is properly cited.
Abstract
’Music therapeutic caregiving’, when caregivers sing for or together with persons with severe dementia during care situations, has been suggested as a way to reduce problematic behaviors in dementia care. The present study implemented this technique as an intervention in dementia care. Six caregivers participated in group interviews about their experiences of morning care situations without and with’Music therapeutic caregiving’. Through a qualitative content analysis two themes emerged.’Being in a different reality’ was based on’usual’ morning care situations. The caregivers’ experienced the persons with dementia as absent-minded; communication and cooperation were difficult. The second theme,’Being present’, was based on morning care situations with the intervention. The caregivers described communication as enhanced; the persons with dementia expressed themselves more appropriately, making cooperation possible. The results indicate that’Music therapeutic caregiving’ might lead to a more positive experience of the person with dementia and seems to increase receptivity to caregiving.
