An elderly lady sits quietly in a recliner chair, staring blankly at the wall. Her white hair touches her shoulders; a woven pink blanket covers her legs. Pots clatter in the kitchen and the TV blares, but she doesn’t stir. A nurse approaches with a smile, whispers in her ear and guides her into the communal area. An old song fills the room as she enters. At the sound of the classical tune, the old woman’s ears prick up and a spark appears in her eyes. Her bowed head lifts and she starts to sing, tapping her foot along to the beat. Before long she is up on her feet, dancing like all of the arthritis has disappeared and the memories start to come flooding back. She has come to life.
Dementia is a devastating disease that affects 50 million people worldwide and creates confusion, frustration and sadness for everyone involved. While there is no proven cure, there may be a silver lining on the clouds that hang over Dementia patients.
‘Silver Memories’ is a 24-hour radio service that has had outstanding success among dementia patients, by playing nostalgic music and programs through a satellite to aged-care homes across Australia.
But how does playing music from the 1920s to the 1970s effect people’s lives so drastically? Well, it happens through a theory known as ‘Reminiscence Therapy’ – a concept which many diversional therapists swear by and the very reason that Silver Memories was created in the first place.
When the General Manager Gary Thorpe went to visit his neighbour in a nursing home in 2007, he walked in to find her planted in front of the sports channel. He thought to himself, surely there has to be something more for her to occupy herself with. Inspired to make a change for the elderly, Gary decided to study Reminiscence Therapy overseas and develop the first ever service of its kind – Silver Memories.
Now, the musical and visual stream has seen massive success across 150 facilities, with positive feedback and stories rolling into the office daily. One particularly inspiring story follows a lady who had hardly spoken in years. One day when she was listening to the Silver Memories broadcast, a staff member walked in to find her singing aloud. They barely even knew her voice. From starting a conversation with her, the staff found out that she did have a love for music and was, in fact, a dance teacher. Soon, they had her teaching the residents how to dance from a wheelchair with her walking stick. This amazing transformation wouldn’t have been possible without the music Silver Memories provides.
Through raiding op-shops for old CD’s, radio announcer Kevin Lewis has been able to bring his Our Favourite Hymns program to the rooms of aged-care homes, an achievement which he has become quite passionate about. Before the retirement days, Kevin explained how many residents were strong churchgoers, but today are unable to attend the services. Now, thanks to Kevin and Silver Memories, they can reconnect with their religion and past through listening to his selection of nostalgic hymns. Some residents even dress up in their Sunday best for Kevin’s broadcasts, as if they are actually attending church.
Aside from his segment, the announcer is also a strong believer in the general music therapy involved. “You talk to people about it and sometimes they think it’s just hocus pocus, but it’s actually real! Music, and particularly nostalgic music can really reopen up those old patterns,” he said.
As part of his passion for Silver Memories, Kevin is assisting the company in prompting the government to fund the roll out of Silver Memories – a step which he believes is necessary for the service to benefit as many residents as possible. With the initial instalment of the satellite system costing around $2000, any government funding to take the pressure off the homes would make a difference. “I think where families and the centres themselves can be proactive in getting this out there, is simply by talking about it. The more we get this message out there the better,” Kevin said.
Through his involvement with Silver Memories over two years, Kevin has developed a greater appreciation for the potential of people who have memory loss and has seen that there can be a “bit of light” at the end of the tunnel. “Whatever I can do to brighten that light a little, I’m in on that,” he said.
The announcer said he was never aware of how much nostalgic music can actually speak to people with Dementia. “I think it’s something that everyone deserves, it just should be there,” he said.
Sales manager Dene Rowling had a similar experience to Gary, when he walked into his mother’s ward to find her positioned in front of the Bathurst 1000 car race. He was inspired to become a part of Silver Memories from this moment, and Dene’s passion can be seen in his knowledge of the scientific evidence backing up the service. Referring to a diagram of the brain, he explained how the pre-frontal cortex is stimulated by the nostalgic material and is closely linked to the individual’s personal identity.
“For the people going into these homes, they lose all reference to their own life. They might have a few photos but there’s nothing that happens in there that reminds them of their own life,” Dene said.
Through the evolution of Silver Memories over 13 years, the program now includes over 2500 images which roll through all day. The wide range of photographs includes iconic locations and landmarks, dance halls, water scenes, animals and many more familiar sights. There’s even a specialised collection called Down on the Farm for farmers who feel especially lost in an institution with no reference to what they know. Whether the interactive music and images are playing in the resident’s rooms or in a communal area, the streams often spark conversation among the residents and they become more engaged with what’s around them.
Let’s not forget how the service can benefit the staff and families as well. The workers have reported how they can work more efficiently with less behavioural distractions and a calmer environment. Furthermore, families often comment on the improvements they see in their loved ones and praise the service for how it has helped.
Dene and the team have really thought of everything when it comes to triggering memories, including an exciting development of an app and subscription-based streaming service to address social isolation for the elderly at home. “We hope to launch this service by October this year,” Dene revealed.
After having the radio satellite installed three years ago, Immanuel Gardens Retirement Village has used the broadcast as background music to calm their residents. Karen Nicholson, a diversional therapist at the home, said the radio is turned up during the exercise class and left on in the afternoons for residents like Janet.
The therapist has seen firsthand how any exposure to music or dance improves the resident’s quality of life. Her Dementia patients also respond to the songs, with some singing along to the lyrics. “We have a lot that come alive with music. Music is a big, powerful thing and I think it makes a big difference to people,” she said. The importance of music can also be seen in the conversations that start among the Immanuel Gardens residents, with some saying “I danced to this song when I got married” or “I wore this dress at my graduation.” Karen has witnessed how the residents sometimes forget what they remember, and how music can bring these memories back.
One of Karen’s stand-out examples is Joyce – a lady with Dementia who used to be very quiet and withdrawn. Since they introduced dancing, she has come to life and starts to remember. When she listens to the music (the upbeat songs are her favourite), her face lights up and suddenly she knows what day it is and the time of day. “I actually have a photo of it on my phone, so if I’m having a bad day I just look at that and remind myself why I do this job,” Karen shared.
Like Kevin, Karen believes that government funding is necessary for the roll out of Silver Memories in order to provide all residents with equal benefits and shouldn’t be down to “have we got the money to do it?”
Despite the clear gaps in the aged-care system, Karen is glad there are people like Dene and Kevin who are determined for Dementia victims to have a better life. When the sound of a familiar melody prompts a knowing smile on the resident’s faces, that is enough to confirm the service is bringing joy, if only just for a few moments. Silver Memories has become a widely appreciated organisation, backed by a team of passionate individuals who strive every day to bring back memories from the past, so the residents can have a brighter future.