The Growing Impact of Music Therapy in Care Homes
At North Yorkshire Music Therapy Centre, we see every day how music can reach people when words alone cannot.
For older adults living with dementia, music can unlock memories, support communication, reduce anxiety, and create meaningful moments of connection. It can help people reconnect with who they are, strengthen relationships with those around them, and improve quality of life in ways that extend far beyond a therapy session.
Over the past year, supporting older people has remained one of our key areas of work. Through our dementia-friendly community groups, our partnership projects, and our growing work within care homes, we have continued to develop accessible and evidence-informed services for people living with dementia and those who care for them.
Our Impact.
Across North Yorkshire, we delivered 881 music therapy sessions supporting 210 individuals, including 75 people living with dementia.
Our work has taken place in both community and clinical settings. Community projects such as Sunshine Singers, Princess Court Singing Group and Beat It have provided welcoming spaces where people living with dementia and their carers can enjoy music together, build friendships, and experience the emotional and cognitive benefits of shared music-making.
Alongside this, we have expanded our work within care homes, developing a structured music therapy model that supports residents, staff, and families alike.
Working in partnership with Lavender Fields Care Village, Connaught Court Care Home, and The Holt Care Home, we have introduced individual and group music therapy sessions alongside personalised Musical Care Plans that help staff integrate music into everyday care.
Our approach recognises that behaviours such as agitation, anxiety, withdrawal, or low mood are often forms of communication. Through careful assessment, therapeutic relationships, and individualised musical strategies, we help residents express themselves while supporting staff to better understand and respond to their needs.
The result is a more responsive, person-centred approach to care that benefits everyone involved.
“The music sessions are just brilliant they're always fun and super flexible, so no matter what mood someone's in or how they're feeling that day, there's always a way for them to join in and they often end up smiling.” - Amy, Dementia Forward
Music Therapy in Action: Alice's Story
One of the most powerful examples of this work comes from Alice, a resident at Lavender Fields Care Village in York. Living with dementia and depression, Alice had begun to lose confidence and withdraw from the world around her. Through regular music therapy sessions, she was offered a space where she could be heard, express her emotions, and reconnect with important aspects of her identity.
Over time, the impact of these sessions extended beyond the therapy room and into her everyday life. Through music, Alice found opportunities to reconnect with herself and with others around her.
Her story reminds us that a diagnosis does not define a person. Music therapy can help create opportunities for individuals to flourish alongside the challenges they face.
Watch Alice's Story
Building Connection Through Personalised Care
Using music therapy techniques and neurologic music therapy principles, we work collaboratively with residents, families, and care teams to create personalised Musical Care Plans.
These plans may include:
Using preferred music to support personal care routines
Introducing specific songs that reduce anxiety or distress
Using rhythm and singing to encourage movement and participation
Creating meaningful musical interactions that promote connection and wellbeing
Importantly, these strategies become part of everyday care. Staff are supported to use music confidently, helping create more positive interactions and improving quality of life throughout the day.
We are already seeing encouraging outcomes, including improved emotional wellbeing, increased social engagement, enhanced communication, and greater confidence among care staff.
Music Therapy in Action: John's Story
Every resident's journey is unique. John's story offers another powerful example of how music therapy can support emotional wellbeing, communication and connection for people living with dementia within a care home setting.
Through personalised music therapy, John was able to engage with music in ways that reflected his own experiences, preferences, and identity. His story demonstrates how music can become a bridge between past and present, creating opportunities for expression, interaction, and joy.
Watch John's Story
Looking Ahead
As our care home programme continues to grow, we remain committed to developing innovative and evidence-informed approaches that support both residents and those who care for them.
We are incredibly grateful to the care homes, families, staff, supporters, and funders who make this work possible. Together, we are helping ensure that people living with dementia continue to experience connection, dignity, self-expression, and joy.