"When the music is on, she is there”. Professional caregivers’ perspectives and use of musical interactions in caring for the person with dementia

Music therapy and musical interventions are increasingly used in dementia care
to support embodied nonverbal interaction. In this study, six professional
caregivers and a music therapist collaborate to explore and understand how
musical interactions can be used in the daily interactions between the caregiver
and the person with dementia. The caregivers contributed to the generation of
qualitative data, including narratives describing musical interactions in their
work. Data were analysed by applying a hermeneutic ethnographic approach
with the music therapist in the role of researcher. The analysis illuminated the
four following themes describing how the caregivers use and understand
musical interactions in dementia care: 1) vitality and communication,
2) connectedness through attunement, 3) a life story soundtrack, 4) from
anxiety to reassurance. Musical interactions such as music listening, dancing,
singing, and playing instruments provided the caregivers with new approaches
to meeting the psychosocial needs of persons with dementia. The four themes
were discussed using practice theory. The results integrate the perspective of
the caregivers and exemplify how caregivers can take active part in research
processes.