Music Therapy

December 27th

There are also more structured activities, and one of the most rewarding of these is music therapy. Receptiveness to music, the ability to listen and to react to it, are preserved astonishingly well in dementia, long after other abilities have faded.

William Draper is the music therapist at Vale House and works four days a week. During the mornings, William visits residents in their rooms and if they would like to take part (it is always their choice), he will sing to them with a guitar or play the saxophone. William takes time to get to know residents and their families, seeking out their favourite songs and types of music that have a special, personal meaning for them. He sees 27 – 30 individual residents on a regular basis.

William’s group sessions take place after lunch in the downstairs dining hall (Monday’s and Wednesday’s) and in the upstairs lounge on Tuesday’s – allowing for residents across the home to access sessions easily. The dining room particularly allows residents to come and go as they please, and where families and carers may join in if they wish (post Covid!).