Residents Revel in the Transformative Power of Music

We all love listening to music. And no matter your cultural background or favourite musical artists or genres, it’s a proven way to improve your mood and help you take control of your feelings. In fact, research has proven these positive effects, pointing to music’s ability to stimulate our body’s natural ‘feel-good’ chemicals (like endorphins and oxytocin) – basically meaning we all feel better after listening to our favourite singers, bands or songs. 

And without a doubt, music can play a significant role in enhancing the quality of life for residents living in aged care homes. 

The simple act of enjoying music has been shown to provide residents with numerous health benefits, particularly in promoting social engagement, improving mental wellbeing, and fostering connections with others. Some studies have even gone so far to demonstrate music’s ability to reduce stress and alleviate pain. 

We can all appreciate the social impact of music too, especially in environments where older people might feel isolated or disconnected. By offering a shared experience, music encourages residents to come together, reminisce (especially if it’s enjoying some of their favourite songs from memories past!), and bond over mutual enjoyment. This helps foster a sense of community that can counter feelings of loneliness and isolation. 

Music’s profound connection to memory is also well-documented. Research in neuroscience suggests that music, particularly songs that individuals are familiar with, can stimulate memories and emotions that might otherwise be difficult to access. So for people living with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease, music has been shown to potentially help unlock long-forgotten memories, allowing them to reconnect with their past in meaningful ways.

At each of our homes, Respect’s dedicated social care teams love drawing on the transformative power of music to support residents’ wellbeing through a busy calendar of engaging activities and events. And in recent month, there have been so many musical highlights of note. 

At Wattleglen in Sale, Victoria, it was happy days thanks to a visit from a local group of rock’n’rollers who inspired residents to bring back memories of the good ol’ days by grabbing a partner and hitting the dancefloor to their favourite swinging tunes. You can tell by everyone’s smiles, toe-tapping and eagerness to boogie (the twist, stroll and jitterbug were particular favourites) that it was a memorable experience for all, and residents were quick to comment how much they enjoyed recalling their upbringing through music and dance.

Across the state, our Tongala Memorial community recently welcomed famed local musician Claire Roberts who delighted everyone with songs and singalongs from her hefty back catalogue (along with several covers of some popular favourites thrown in for good measure). Claire has been performing around country Victoria and New South Wales for several decades and, thanks to the connection she’s built with several communities and local aged care homes, her performances are always a smash-hit with our residents, who are already eagerly awaiting her return.

Elsewhere in Victoria, our residents at Coates in St Arnaud also enjoyed an afternoon of golden oldies, thanks to a special visit from the King of Rock and Roll himself!

It definitely won’t be a Blue Christmas ahead with residents still buzzing from this brilliant Elvis impersonator’s memorable performance. Donning his famous white jumpsuit, reminiscent of the 1973 Aloha from Hawaii concert, Elvis secretly entered the building before making his surprise appearance amidst riotous applause. 

A big thank you to the local team who organised the special event. You can see from the residents’ amazing reactions that it really brightened their day and we’re sure stories of Elvis’ visit will be shared amongst the community for a very long time (one resident reportedly got a bit too carried away… which led to poor Elvis’ wig coming off!).

Lithgow, New South Wales, a local community festival dedicated to honouring the life and music of the Beatles was the perfect backdrop for some reminiscing about Beatlemania and its impact on the world. 

The celebration marked 60 years since the Beatles’ tour of Australia and included a host of community activities ranging from photo exhibitions to local band concerts, so our Cooinda residents were keen to also get in on the fun. 

Residents shared countless personal memories with each other, sparked by images and talk of the band and their music. It was a real blast from the past. While recalling the Beatles’ musical influence as well as their impact on fashion and style (including 60s haircuts!), some even revealed their own personal experience of the 1964 tour. 

One resident mentioned they had been stuck in Melbourne for days because of the crowds and Beatlemania, and another was delivering to Qantas when the Beatles arrived at Sydney airport, which was swamped with screaming fans!