Ground breaking research: supporting the residential aged care workforce through music attuned care.
Our Director, Hayley has recently commenced a PhD at the University of Melbourne exploring the effect of Music Attuned Technology for Care via eHealth (MATCH) with people with dementia on the residential aged care workforce.
What is MATCH?
Researchers from the University of Melbourne, in partnership with CSIRO have secured $2 million through the Medical Research Future Fund scheme to conduct a multidisciplinary study translating face to face family caregiver training to a digital health solution. A four year study will co-design, develop and test a scalable music-based eHealth technology (MATCH) to support the management of agitation and BPSD by autosuggesting and adapting music to match and attune to a person with dementia’s changing state, with built in guidance from Registered Music Therapists.
Background to Hayley’s Research
There is an emerging body of research that supports the use of music therapy as a potential treatment for people with dementia. With >470,000 people living with Dementia in Australia and <120 Registered Music Therapists working in aged care [1], there is a need to create scalable solutions that improve access to music therapy informed therapeutic use of music. Furthermore, the aged care industry is facing a workforce crisis with a predicted shortage of 110,000 direct aged-care workers by 2031 unless significant improvements are made in attracting and retaining staff [2].
The rising acuity of dementia in RAC creates challenges for carers who are tasked with supporting people in all aspects of their daily living, leading to increased carer stress, and reduced job satisfaction [3]. Job satisfaction is significantly and negatively correlated with carer burnout and quality of care [4][5] and associated with employee turnover [6][7]. Strategies to improve carer job satisfaction are important to ensure a capable and sustainable aged care workforce. Investment in new technology that reduces burden on staff and improves care outcomes is a critical component of addressing the workforce retention crisis [2].
While agitation, apathy and depressive behaviours can be distressing for carers, euphoric behaviour is least distressing [8] and positive relationships and interactions with residents can reduce carer stress [9]. This suggests solutions should be effective in; reducing negative behaviours, evoking euphoric responses, and providing opportunities for meaningful positive interactions between carers and residents to enhance carer job satisfaction and address the workforce crisis. Notwithstanding the wellbeing and quality of life benefits for people living with dementia, music therapy and music-based interventions [10] are non-pharmacological approaches used in residential care homes to support people living with dementia [11]. Music-based experiences can reduce negative symptoms, including BPSD, agitation, anxiety, cognitive functioning and depressive symptoms [12-15]; improve mood and enjoyment [16], autobiographical memory [17-19], identity [20] and communication [21-23]; and enhance bonding and relationships [24]. Despite this, the outcomes of using music in care vary [25][26], thus technology that supports staff to implement music informed by music therapy research and practice may be beneficial. Critically, music therapy support aids in understanding how, when, for how long and why to use music as a care tool.
When considering how Australia delivers sustainable, high quality, residential dementia care, strategies that target workforce capability are crucial. Personalised music implemented by care professionals with music therapy knowledge is one strategy and the ground-breaking technology of MATCH will make this accessible to aged care providers. MATCH introduces opportunities for meaningful engagement between carers and residents, while regulating arousal and agitation and limiting the inappropriate use of pharmacological treatment and restraint. The research may provide a cost effective, scalable, and sustainable solution to supporting people living with dementia and the aged care workforce. Importantly, it will provide insight into the impact on the residential aged care workforce who are critical in delivering quality care for people living with dementia.
Significance of Research
The multidisciplinary Music Attuned Technology for Care via eHealth (MATCH) project which will deliver a patient-centred music program developed for use in home, residential aged care (RAC), and during the often-stressful transition period from home to RAC.
Whilst MATCH uses clinical markers such as agitation and BPSD, Hayley’s research focuses specifically on the relationship that can be formed between carer and resident through music and seeks to understand the carer’s experience and effect on job satisfaction. Innovations that support the wellbeing of professional carers are vital to ensure sustainable and quality dementia care services into the future. Success will be measured by analysis of carer, resident, and commercial outcomes.
MATCH will be a scalable eHealth program that addresses the shortage of Registered Music Therapists in Australia by enabling carers to deliver music therapy informed practice for therapeutic benefit. The MATCH project leverages collaborations between researchers, clinicians, consumers, carers, policy makers, aged care providers, and advocacy groups who all have a strong commitment to scalable solutions for improved care and quality of life for people living with dementia.
More about MATCH: https://pursuit.unimelb.edu.au/articles/using-music-and-words-to-bridge-dementia
More about the Music Interventions in Neurological Diseases research unit (MIND): https://blogs.unimelb.edu.au/mind/#tabmain
[1] Jack, N., Thompson, G., Hogan, B., Tamplin, J., Eager, R. & Arns, B. (2016). AMTA Workforce Census: My Profession, My Voice. Retrieved from Australian Music Therapy Association website: https://www.austmta.org.au/brochure/amta-workforce- census
[2] CEDA. (2021). Duty of Care: Meeting the Aged Care Workforce Challenge. Retrieved from https://www.ceda.com.au/ResearchAndPolicies/Research/Health-Ageing/Duty-of-care-Meeting-the-aged-care-workforce-chall
[3] Costello, Walsh, Cooper & Livingston, 2019
[4] Kim, Liu, Ishikawa & Park, 2019
[5] Rajamohan, Porock, & Chang, 2019
[6] Cheval et al., 2019
[7] Elliott, Sanderson, Martin, Robinson & Scott, 2016
[8] Feast, Moniz-Cook, Stoner, Charlesworth, & Orrell, 2016
[9] Quinn, Clare, & Woods, 2009
[10] Non-music therapy music-based interventions include listening to recorded music, singing and groups activities that promote movement and reminiscence, generally implemented by carers, nurses and/or musicians (Dowson et al., 2019).
[11] Garrido, Dunne, Perz, Chang, & Stevens, 2018
[12] Curtis, Gibson, O’Brien, & Roe, 2018
[13] Dowson et al., 2019
[14] Zhang et al., 2017
[15] Dyer, Harrison, Laver, Whitehead, & Crotty, 2018
[16] Clements-Cortés, 2014
[17] Baird & Samson, 2009
[18]Cuddy & Duffin, 2005
[19] Cuddy, Sikka, Silveira, Bai, & Vanstone, 2017
[20] McDermott, Orrell, & Ridder, 2014
[21] Götell, Brown, & Ekman, 2002
[22] Götell, Brown, & Ekman, 2003
[23] Götell, Brown, & Ekman, 2009
[24] Swall, Hammar, & Gransjön Craftman, 2020
[25] Garrido et al. 2017
[26] Garrido, Dunne, Perz, Change & Stevens, 2018
