A digital radio service designed specifically for listeners with dementia has been launched across south and west London.
The service, developed by Music for Dementia, has now been launched through digital audio broadcasting (DAB), meaning it is transmitted through digital data rather than radio signals, making it more accessible for listeners in the capital.
The station plays songs from the 1940s to the 1980s, and aims to foster connection, unlock memories and bring both cognitive and social benefits.
St David’s Care Home in Ealing was among the first to experience the service when the Music for Dementia team toured care homes across London on Tuesday, with residents sharing memories about their favourite songs.
Satinder Singh, care home manager, said: “We really enjoyed welcoming the Music for Dementia team to St David’s Care Home and seeing our residents get involved. What appealed to us about the resource is the choice and how easy it is to use.”
Another of the features that users appreciate is the absence of news bulletins, adverts or presenters, which ensures simplicity and reduces confusion.
They also run themed playlists, including Move It Monday and Sunday Hymns, to help listeners share music within families and care settings.
Lizzie Hoskin from Music for Dementia said: “We’ve seen a huge increase in engagement across our 60s, 70s and Mix channels particularly. The mix channels play music from all decades but also include activity playlists like singalongs, which help to grow our community.”
Amy Shackleton, CEO at Music for Dementia, said: “We’re delighted that people in London are among the first in the UK to be able to access m4dRADIO through DAB.”
For Alyssa Aziz, 22, from Carshalton, music has become an important way of connecting with her grandad, Hamzah Aziz, 87.
Hamzah lives in Clapham and has Alzheimer’s, with severe memory loss. Alyssa said that his reaction to music can be immediate.
“He lights up,” she said. “Sometimes he claps and sings and even rolls his shoulders.”
Since discovering m4dRADIO, Alyssa has been playing music from the 1960s and 1970s for her grandfather, and says he particularly enjoys songs by The Beatles and Chuck Berry.
According to Alyssa, the music has helped the family to engage meaningfully with Hamzah, in a way that can be difficult through conversation alone.
She said: “We used to watch TV with grandpa, but we’ve found music enables us to communicate with him and engage him. With music in his life, he seems more content and because he is engaging more, we feel m4dRADIO has benefitted the whole family.”
The launch of m4dRADIO follows research on the ways music can benefit those with dementia by alleviating symptoms such as agitation, apathy, and depression.
The research also demonstrates that music therapy can support cognition and reduce the need for antipsychotic medication in 67% of people with dementia.
Hoskin also said: “If you were to scan your brain while listening to music, the screen would light up like a fireworks display. This is because music reaches so many different parts of the brain at once. Not just areas connected with hearing, but also language, movement, emotions and memory.”
M4dRADIO is now accessible on DAB across South and West London via m4dRADIO.com. The service is free and available 24 hours a day, with no subscription required.
Featured image credit: Sam Jones
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