Activity Feature
A remote music project to provide meaningful activity
When music as an intervention for older people on acute wards in Nottingham had to stop due to the pandemic , an alternative remote method of delivery was introduced . Here Jo McAulay describes how patients and staff reacted to the project .
B etween 2006 and 2016 , the number of patients admitted to hospital in the UK aged over 65 increased by 46 %, from four million to just under six million ( The Health Foundation
2018 ).
Inpatient stays for this population have been found to lead to decreased mobility , increased mortality and decreased mental function ( Jackson et al 2017 , Wilson et al 2012 ). While a lack of meaningful activities on acute medical wards is related to feelings of passivity , boredom and alienation from roles , routines , and sense of self ( Clarke et al 2018 ).
Engagement with the arts offers an opportunity to address these issues , and this article will look at the remote provision of music to elderly patients in a busy acute trust .
Original music intervention
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic , individuals or groups of patients on the Health Care of Older People ( HCOP ) wards at Queens Medical Centre , Nottingham University Hospitals Trust , could access live music as a face-to-face service , delivered by Wellspring Music CIC .
The musician would normally meet with patients on the wards either at their bedside or in a day room . He would play acoustic music – singing and playing the guitar , based on patient choice .
For some patients this choice was expressed verbally , for example , by telling the musician about their favourite music . For patients who were unable to communicate verbally , the musician experimented with different styles of music and made a judgement based on their engagement .
For example , if a patient started to tap their toes , or give eye contact , then the musician would continue with that style of music .
The musical intervention was externally evaluated in 2018 , and the findings were collated in a report entitled Let there be love ( Haake 2018 ).
Using qualitative observational methods to evaluate the impact of the face-to-face music sessions , the report found that music helped patients to connect and interact , while easing anxiety and stress .
The report also found benefits to ward staff , including promoting relaxation and bringing a sense of normality to wards . The musician aimed to reduce anxiety and isolation , and to encourage self-expression .
A new Arts Council funded project
Due to social distancing and infection control measures introduced to limit the spread of COVID-19 , at present the musical intervention cannot be delivered in its existing form . However , there is a still a need for patients to have access to enjoyable activities on the acute wards , to help combat loneliness , anxiety and behavioural symptoms .
There was the possibility of delivering music remotely , via an iPad , to patients on the ward , and Arts Council funding was provided to fund this project . This was , however , an untested area of practice .
46 OTnews February 2022