Strict precautions during the COVID-19 pandemic left patients isolated during already stressful hospital stays. Research indicates that listening to music recruits regions in the brain involved with social interaction and reduces feelings of loneliness. We formed a team of clinicians and clinical musicians to bring music to the bedside, as “psychological first aid.” Our goal was to reduce feelings of anxiety and isolation in patients admitted to the Northwestern Memorial Hospital’s neurosciences unit. Participants were offered 30-40-minute live music sessions over FaceTime by a violist in consultation with a music therapist and a certified music practitioner. Music used for the interventions was personalized. Participants were evaluated with the Music Assessment Tool where they indicated their musical preferences and music to which they objected. Following the intervention, participants answered a questionnaire assessing how music impacted their emotional state based on a 1 to 10
Abstract
Healthcare providers are faced with many challenges when trying to meet the complex needs of those with age related diseases, such as dementia. In residential aged care facilities (RACFs), up to 90% of those with dementia exhibit responsive behaviours (RB) and these are associated with increases in mortality, morbidity and decreased quality-of-life for residents. The term ‘responsive behaviours’ refers to words and actions displayed in response to personal, social or physical environments and are an expression of meaning, needs or concerns. There is a need for more focus in policy, practice and research to improve the management of and reduce the negative impacts of RB on residents and care staff within RACFs. Affective RB symptoms in particular have been found to be the most burdensome. In time constrained workplaces, care staff require guidance towards resources that can facilitate better evidence based practice (EBP). This research adopts the Outcome-Focused Knowledg