There was a new sound playing at Drayton Village Care Centre recently, as we welcomed Music for Dementia during the launch of its free m4dRADIO service on DAB digital radio across South and West London.
The m4dRADIO team stopped by Drayton Village as part of its local launch tour, giving residents, families and our team the opportunity to try out a music service created specifically with people living with dementia in mind.
With uninterrupted music spanning the 1940s through to the 1980s, listeners can choose an era that means something to them, without adverts, news or presenters interrupting the music.
For one of our wonderful residents, Penelope, and her daughter Ruth, that meant a trip back to the 1950s.
After spotting the m4dRADIO van outside Drayton Village, the pair decided to tune in together and soon found themselves singing along to Doris Day and Cliff Richard.
Ruth said:
“We saw the van outside and decided to put the radio station on. We’ve been singing along to Doris Day and then Cliff Richard, who my mum actually saw in concert when she was a teenager.”
“We chose the 1950s option, and I think being able to pick an era and mix it up is a great idea. It’s fantastic for my mum and the other residents.”
That little detail about Cliff Richard is exactly why music can be so personal. A song or artist isn’t simply from a particular decade. It can be connected to somewhere someone went, somebody they knew or an experience from their own life.
Laura Steward, Head of Dementia and Lifestyle at Gold Care Homes, explained:
“Music can be incredibly personal. A particular song might be connected to a relationship, a place, a celebration or simply a period of someone’s life that is important to them.”
“When we support someone living with dementia, it isn’t about assuming that everyone of a similar age wants to hear the same music. It’s about understanding the person and finding the music that means something to them.”
That individual choice is something we want to carry into how we use m4dRADIO at Drayton Village. Music might become part of a group activity, provide something for a resident and relative to enjoy together, start a conversation, or simply be something someone chooses to listen to because they like it.
Our incredible Home Manager, Matthew, said:
“What we saw during the visit is exactly why individual choice matters. One resident might want music from the 1950s, while someone else has completely different favourites.”
“Those preferences tell us something about the person, and they can give families and our team something to enjoy and talk about together. We’re looking forward to making the resource part of life here at Drayton Village.”
Amy Shackleton, CEO at Music for Dementia, also added:
“We were delighted to team up with Gold Care Homes with our m4dRADIO DAB launch campaign. Their residents and staff gave us a great reception. It was particularly wonderful chatting to residents about their favourite songs.”
The visit to Drayton Village also caught the attention of BBC Radio, with Amy Shackleton visiting Drayton Village alongside BBC Radio producer Nisha Patel to speak with residents about music and the memories and stories connected to their favourite songs.
Our residents had the opportunity to share some of the music that means something to them, with their conversations featuring in a BBC Radio broadcast exploring the role music can play for people living with dementia.
You can listen to our BBC Radio feature below:
A big thank you to Amy, Nisha and everyone at Music for Dementia and BBC Radio who spent time with us at Drayton Village, and most importantly to our residents and families who shared their musical favourites and the stories behind them.
At Drayton Village, getting to know someone means learning about much more than their care needs. Their favourite music, interests, stories, routines and experiences all tell us something about who they are, and finding ways to bring those individual preferences into everyday life is an important part of making our home feel like their own.
And as Penelope reminded us, you never know what stories might be hiding behind a favourite song.
