Developing a music assessment tool with people with dementia
Research type
Research Study
Full title
"Music Matters": Developing an 'in the moment' multisensory music assessment tool with people living with dementia through a participatory design.
IRAS ID
212997
Contact name
Robyn Dowlen
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Manchester
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 0 days
Research summary
The aim of this research is to work collaboratively with people living with dementia in order to develop a new way of evaluating the impacts of music on this population. The research will seek to understand ‘in the moment’ experiences by stimulating reflective discussion with people living with dementia using videos taken of a music group. The researcher will follow Manchester Camerata’s Music in Mind program over a period of 15 weeks and work with up to 8 people living with dementia, and those who support them, in order to gain a greater understanding of their experiences when they engage with music.
The researcher will involve people living with dementia in the analysis of the data, working through transcripts to identify key themes that the researcher will go on to develop in the context of the research as a whole. This data analysis will inform the development of a music assessment tool, which the researcher will take back to the people living with dementia for feedback to ensure that it is representative of their experience.
The researcher will also consult with individuals from healthcare professions, charity and arts organisations who are evaluating music projects for people living with dementia in order to gain a greater sense of the strengths and limitations of current evaluation methods. This should ensure that the tool that is developed is both representative of the experiences of people living with dementia and useful to those who may use it to evaluate music programs for people living with dementia.REC name
Social Care REC
REC reference
16/IEC08/0049
Date of REC Opinion
24 Jan 2017
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion