Three London care homes – Leah Lodge and Rectory Court in Blackheath, and Eden Court in Battersea – all part of Cinnamon Care Collection, are amongst the first care homes in the country to receive a ‘Take Note Music in Care’ bronze award, in recognition of meeting a new standard created by the University of Roehampton relating to the power of music in dementia care.
The award scheme is an extension of a successful pilot project between the University of Roehampton and Cinnamon Care Collection called Take Note, which resulted in the creation of a set of resources for carers to enable older people, particularly those living with dementia, to reap the benefits of music to awaken old skills, learn new ones, and rekindle memories.
To achieve the bronze award, the care homes had to provide evidence of implementing a number of the Take Note ideas over a four-month period. This included enabling at least five residents to have playlists of favourite music that they can access, carers singing songs with at least five residents every day for fun and to help communication, and giving at least one resident the opportunity to learn or re-learn an instrument. Instilling sound queues was also an important part of the programme to help residents anticipate an activity, for example, sounding a small gong to indicate that it is time for lunch or shaking a tambourine when a group music session is about to start.
Hedvika Pavluchova, Wellbeing & Lifestyle Co-ordinator from Rectory Court, one of the bronze award recipients said, “I have learned how powerful music can be in supporting people living with a condition such as dementia or some kind of physical disability, when residents can feel isolated. Music is more than just a source of entertainment; it has the ability to connect with areas of the brain even when memory or language/ speech decline. Another key learning for me is the importance of personalisation – for example using tailored playlists, based on a person’s history and preferences and what a wonderful tool this is for creating joy and connection with a resident.”
Anita Andrew, Wellbeing Lead at Eden Court, added, “The Take Note music project has been a wonderful experience for our residents, families, friends and team members, bringing joy, connection, and a real sense of wellbeing for everyone. Music has lifted spirits, sparked memories, and encouraged residents to express themselves in ways that go beyond words. We’ve seen how it creates moments of togetherness, whether through singing, moving to the rhythm, or simply listening and relaxing. Completing the activity for the award has given us the confidence to be more creative with music and to see first-hand how the benefits are so positive for everyone involved.”
Geoff Pride, Wellbeing & Lifestyle Manager, Cinnamon Care Collection said, “We are always trying to push boundaries in the use of music in our care homes to help to spark residents’ memories and encourage movement and mental stimulation. It has been a real honour to work in partnership with the University of Roehampton, and for Cinnamon Care Collection care homes to have been involved in the pilot programme for the national roll out of these awards.”
Six Cinnamon Care Collection care homes, including Leah Lodge, Rectory Court and Eden Court, took part in the bronze awards, all passing with flying colours. They impressed the judges with their passion and commitment to the project and the wonderful examples shown of the power of music in relation to dementia care. These six homes will now progress to the silver awards, with the bronze award being rolled out to additional care homes in the Cinnamon group.
Professor Adam Ockelford from the University of Roehampton added, “We established the ‘Take Note Music in Care’ bronze, silver and gold awards to create a national Quality Standards scheme for dementia care providers, using the Take Note resources as a basis, in line with CQC best practice. We have launched these with Cinnamon Care Collection, a recognised centre of excellence in dementia care, and hope that other care providers will want to roll out these accreditations.”
For further information about the Take Note resources and the awards, please visit www.takenote.org.uk
Leah Lodge, Rectory Court and Eden Court provide exceptional residential, dementia and respite care. They are part of Cinnamon Care Collection, which owns and operates 23 luxury care homes and is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. For the past nine years, Cinnamon Care Collection has been recognised as a Top 20 Care Home Group by Carehome.co.uk. For further information, visit www.cinnamoncc.com
