LO7

After a second season of Music Reminiscence with Apex Harmony Lodge, I felt glad that I had signed up for this service. There is something very calming and rewarding about visiting the lodge on a Friday after school and meeting the residents, especially interacting with my resident. The initial challenge I felt with a barrier in communication is still there—however, there are clear signs of improvement. I now know more about the kind of music my resident is more likely to recognise, and I know some conversation starters that might get him talking. I found out that he is actually a chatty person when he is in the mood, and that his mood often changes with the weather. We don’t have full-blown conversations, but it is also nice to sit and just listen to music together. Very occasionally, he will sing-along for a few seconds, which is always a special moment.

Working with dementia patients, it is especially important to be aware of the consequences of my choices and to show accountability for my actions. Every session, we start off by learning something new about how we can improve our interactions with the residents. For example, we learn about showing them respect and not doing things for them—I attempt this mainly through allowing my resident to put on the headphones himself. As he is visually impaired, I have turned most of our communication to exploring music together, attempting to converse with him, and gently tapping his back or holding his hand. I pay special attention to his reactions (to the music and to my attempts at communicating), as we also fill our emotion forms to show the reactions of the residents for a 10 minute period while listening to music. Through these interactions, I become very aware of the consequences of choices and actions regarding myself and my resident. Taking part in this service itself also allowed me to recognise issues surrounding dementia, especially the societal stigma. I myself was quite unfamiliar with the details of dementia and was also very unfamiliar with it in the sense that I had never interacted with someone who had dementia. Music reminiscence pushed me to not only recognise this ethical issue but take part in helping a local community. The impact is small but sure—it is seen when the residents show positive reactions to the music.