Aged Care Insite Issue 107 | Jun-Jul 2018 | Page 20

practical living music-making can reduce depression and anxiety among older adults and offer opportunities for social interaction. But you’re working to find out whether listening to music can do the same. Why did you decide to focus on radio? Wireless connections Tuning in to radio’s impact on older adult wellbeing. Amanda Krause interviewed by Dallas Bastian F or some, listening to the radio is a way to kill time while driving or catch up on the day’s news, but for older adults the desire to tune in might have deeper implications. In partnership with the Community Broadcasting Foundation, Dr Amanda Krause from the University of Melbourne is exploring the radio listening practices of older adults and how these might relate to their sense of wellbeing. 18 agedcareinsite.com.au Early findings from her interviews with Melbourne residents aged 65 years and over indicate that for some people the radio offers companionship – both by listening to music programs as well as to radio presenters. “Some people spoke not only about their enjoyment from listening to the radio, but about consciously modifying their listening in an effort to improve their mood,” Krause said. In the next phase, Krause will speak with radio personnel about their decisions on programming and how they might be able to positively influence listeners’ wellbeing. “The project is very exciting because it has real power to make changes in the community,” she said. Aged Care Insite spoke with Krause about her decision to explore the impact of radio on wellbeing and whether the presenter or the music played makes a difference. ACI : You’ve said previously that research shows participating in AK: There are two reasons. One is to home in on listening in general. Much of the research has been done on music‑making, which is fabulous, but it does require a lot of materials – people to lead singing groups, for example, or instruments in order to have a band – whereas listening can be done at any time, in any place, alone or with other people. So I’m really interested in thinking about listening, because of our ways of accessing the music through different technologies. And the radio is one of those, and it’s a longstanding technology. Another nice thing about the radio is that, in rural and remote regions, it is often the only working technology. So we can access a lot of different people and consider their experiences with the radio. Early findings from your interviews with senior Melbourne residents show that people define their interactions or relationship with the radio in different ways. What were some of the ways interviewees spoke about listening to the radio? Sometimes people talk about it as something that’s just on in the background. For example, a lot of people wake up with the radio and have it on as they’re getting ready for their day. Or perhaps just playing in the background as they go about their day and their work. Other people talk about the radio providing companionship. They talk about not only having a relationship listening to the same presenters, but often a favourite program they have developed a relationship with and welcome into their homes. But they also have a relationship with the music as well. It’s not just the presenters or talkback radio. They often have the music on in the background to give them companionship. In terms of their relationship with the radio presenters, is it specifically talkback radio where that connection is being formed, where there’s at least