Playlist for Life is a music and dementia charity which was founded in 2013 by writer and broadcaster Sally Magnusson after the death of her mother Mamie who had dementia.
Partnership staff in the West Fife Older Adult’s Community Mental Health Team completed the training and have been working with older adults to create playlists and have now been named as the first community mental health team in Scotland to be officially Playlist for Life certified.
Coming during national Dementia Awareness week, the certification meant even more to the team members involved (pictured below with Rebecca from Playlist for Life). The charity’s simple concept involves health and social care staff working alongside people living with dementia, their friends and family, to select songs from their lives which hold meaning and memories to create a personal playlist. These playlists have been shown to help those with dementia in a range of ways, often bringing happiness and hope at difficult times through the person’s journey, as well as a range of therapeutic benefits, including managing stress and distress. In fact, in the group of 10 adults who participated, 80% have seen a reduction in certain types of medication since they developed a playlist.
Partnership staff in the West Fife Older Adult’s Community Mental Health Team completed the training and have been working with older adults to create playlists.
After completing the certification process they were awarded with a plaque from the charity during Dementia Awareness week.
Nicola Hurst, Community Mental Health Nurse from the Partnership said:
“It’s been brilliant to see first hand how the playlists can help, the results have been remarkable for our older people who have taken part.
“One of my favourite examples is one of our male patients who lives at home who is transported back to the enjoyment of past holidays from just one of the songs – Sweet Caroline - he picked.
“Listening to his playlist reduces his agitation and gives him moments of happiness in his day.
NHS Fife has also adopted the playlist concept in 12 wards across Fife but the West Fife Team are the first community based team to adopt the initiative.
Initial funding was received from the Friends of Queen Margaret Hospital nearly a decade ago. Family members across Fife have also made personal donations over the years to help support the work as have community organisations including local Rotary Clubs.
NHS Fife also provided funding for training and recently, thanks to additional funding from the Fife Health Charity, further equipment has been purchased including headphones and mp3 devices for those taking part. Playlist for Life has also donated equipment to NHS Fife too.
Work will now continue in the Partnership with the playlists rolled out to other community mental health teams in other areas of Fife. In-patient and community hospice teams within the Partnership will also be trained too.
