Finding Connection Through Music: Celebrating World Alzheimer’s Month
World Alzheimer’s Month is a time to reflect, raise awareness, and celebrate the projects that bring light, dignity, and joy to people living with dementia and their families. At the Dementia Trust, we believe in the power of creative approaches to support wellbeing, and few projects embody this more than ReConnect at Findlay House, delivered by the Scottish Chamber Orchestra (SCO) with support from our Disruption Awards.
Music as a Bridge
ReConnect is built on a simple but profound idea: music can connect us when words fall away. At NHS Lothian’s Findlay House, where residents live with more advanced symptoms of dementia, SCO musicians led by Dr Jane Bentley brought live performance, improvisation, and interactive workshops right onto the ward. Over eight weeks, patients, families, NHS staff and musicians came together in sessions filled with rhythm, movement and moments of recognition.
One staff member described the ward as “the forgotten ward,” but during ReConnect, no one was forgotten. From group sessions in the lounge to quiet bedside visits, the music found its way to every person. As one family member movingly said:
“I had never heard her sing until she came here.”
The Importance of Training and Reflection
An important element to the programme was the training and reflective sessions delivered by dementia expert Professor June Andrews alongside ReConnect’s lead practitioner Dr Jane Bentley, a specialist in using music in dementia care. Before the music-making began, Jane and June led a session for the musicians, offering insight into the wider context of dementia care alongside the development of a musical “toolkit” of flexible responses that would enable musicians to respond and adapt moment to moment to what may be happening on the ward. This helped performers to feel prepared, confident and able to make the deepest possible impact. As one musician reflected, “It helps us understand the wider context of our work, a piece of a much bigger jigsaw and more confident in responding in the moment.”
Impact that Lasts Beyond the Music
The outcomes were felt across the whole ward:
For participants: improved mood, moments of joy and a chance to communicate through music.
For carers and families: shared experiences, glimpses of connection and meaningful visits.
For NHS staff: new confidence in using music therapeutically and an uplifted atmosphere on the ward.
For musicians: a renewed sense of purpose and the deep reward of making music that truly changes lives.
One Activities Coordinator told us:
“The lively, entertaining sessions improved our patients’ mood and on many occasions, patients were smiling, laughing and even got up for a dance. It was nice to see the positive impact the music created. The patients were calm and relaxed, and remained like this for the remainder of the day.”
A Partnership for Change
This project was made possible by the partnership between the Dementia Trust and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra. Together, we are proving that creative, people-centred approaches can transform care settings, not only for those living with dementia but also for families, staff and the wider community.
Chair of the Dementia Trust, Dylan Harper said, “This is exactly the kind of collaboration that helps us deliver real change for people living with dementia.”
Looking Forward
As the SCO expands ReConnect into more NHS settings, and as the Dementia Trust continues to back bold ideas, we are reminded of what is possible when care is infused with creativity, compassion, and community.
This World Alzheimer’s Month, we celebrate everyone who refuses to let living with a dementia define the limits of joy and connection. With the right support, and sometimes just the right song, people can still experience moments that truly matter.
