Harness the #powerof30 for World Alzheimer’s Month

To mark World Alzheimer’s Month this September, we are asking the UK to make time to listen to music with a loved one for 30 minutes a week. Our #powerof30 campaign, supported by actor Christopher Eccleston, aims to get people benefitting from the power that music has to promote and support wellbeing, which for many is at a critical low after lockdown.

Over half of us (53%) know somebody with dementia whether that’s a loved one (26%) or somebody they know well (17%). In addition, one in five (22%) know a friend who has dementia. Also, 48% of those who know someone with dementia say music is important to their wellbeing.

Christopher Eccleston, whose memoir talks about his late father Ronnie who lived with dementia, says: “Music has the power to communicate to us on direct and subliminal levels. It can take us places. It can be transformative. It has a unique power of its own and within that, the power to comfort those who may be confused or in the grip of this destructive disease.  I fully support and endorse the work being done through #powerof30”.

Grace Meadows, Campaign Director at Music for Dementia said: “Music can be hugely beneficial to people living with Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia as it has the power to enliven, stimulate and enable people to express themselves.

“Our #powerof30 campaign aims to help people make connections again.  Musical services have been severely impacted in the last 18 months, meaning many people living with dementia and their carers have lost those important connections and special moments that music, uniquely, provides. But we can all use music to help create those connections and make a difference to people’s lives.

“Whether you know someone with dementia or not, we hope people embrace our #powerof30 campaign. No matter what age you are, where you live or what your health is, everyone can benefit from a shared experience of listening to music.”

Professor Helen Odell-Miller OBE Director of the Cambridge Institute for Music Therapy Research at Anglia Ruskin University said: “Just 30 minutes of shared music a week during daily life and normal routines, at home or outside in the nearby environment, will make a difference to quality of life. Research shows that shared music-making and listening to music can help reduce anxiety and depression.”

Sign up here to support the power of music in dementia care.