Memory Lane – Ward 30 Heartlands Hospital Pilot
Introduction
The Arts Team at the Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust have run their final series of
Memory Lane music workshops on Ward 30 at Heartlands Hospital. This is the last of 3
different wards around the Trust to host reminiscence music workshops for patients, as a
pilot to investigate how to run the project long term around the Trust.
Ward 30 has a very different layout to the previous pilots at Good Hope and Solihull
Hospital. There was no dayroom available to the music co-ordinators, so all music sessions
took place in patient bays. As with Good Hope Hospital, the severity of patients’ conditions
fluctuated significantly from week to week. This meant that instead of planning set
workshops from week to week, a number of appropriate activities were chosen to be used
flexibly as it was not possible to predict what would work for all patients each week. The
music chosen was suitable for the needs and abilities of the patients.
Over 6 sessions the music co-ordinators worked with 45 patients.
Sessions
Music sessions ran on Tuesday afternoons between 2pm and 3pm. This time was chosen as
it was after protected mealtimes and drug rounds, and patients often have very little to do
in this time. The musicians moved around the 4 bays. In each bay, the musicians would play
familiar songs such as Somewhere over the Rainbow or Eidelweiss. Many patients would
recognise the tunes and hum or sing along. In bays where a few patients were awake, the
music co-ordinators encouraged patients to sing together, using fabric as a visual stimulus to
accompany the music, and make decisions about the music. Would they like music to be
upbeat or relaxed, fast or slow? Where appropriate, they also invited patients to play small
percussion instruments so they could make a direct contribution to the music making.
Patients were encouraged to talk about any memories that the music evoked, and time and
space was built into sessions to allow for this. This seemed particularly effective in bays with
male patients, where many were keen to share experiences from their youth about music
venues they had visited or particular memories attached to songs.
Participation levels in this pilot were lower than at the other two hospitals due to the
severity of the patients’ conditions. This meant that sessions used less interactive music
activities, but instead promoted time for talking, listening and relaxing. The time spent in
each bay was also shorter to accommodate for this, and where possible, the music coordinators spent time with individuals in side rooms.
There were a lot more visitors present in sessions in the Heartlands Hospital pilot,
particularly compared to Good Hope Hospital. This meant people who wanted to be
involved in the music were more willing to share. Patients with visitors seemed more
relaxed and could be prompted by family members when sharing memories. The music
sessions were all inclusive so that the families could participate alongside their loved ones
giving opportunities for positive interaction in the hospital environment. Previous
experiences show that family members appreciate the sense of normality that taking part in
music making brings.
Reactions to Music
The music sessions were effective in reminding patients of memories, and there were a
number of instances throughout the pilot where individuals were comfortable enough to
share these memories. One such example was a male patient A. He was immobile, but
enjoyed sitting in his bed listening and singing along to the various tunes that were played.
He was vocal with decisions about the mood of music being performed, and spent a large
chunk of his session sharing his memories of being in the army and going to the dance hall.
His whole demeanour brightened as he relived the memories, and it was clear that he was
in need of someone to talk to. The workshops were designed to accommodate for such
moments, and this was a positive experience for A.
Another male patient who reacted strongly to the music was a male patient H. In this
particular session, he was sitting alone in the activity room of Ward 30. H was slightly deaf
and had vision problems, but otherwise was able to communicate. The music session was
then set up in the activity room for H, and he was given
complete control over the workshop. This was an important
aspect of the pilot, as so often patients feel at a loss due to
the changes to their usual routine, therefore any opportunity
to give them control over their surroundings is provided. H
responded very positively to this, and similarly to male
patient A, the music reminded him of memories, especially
those involving his family. When hearing the Doris Day song
Que Sera, H shared that this was his ‘family motto’. Whilst
sharing his thoughts and memories, H became visibly more
relaxed and looked happier than before the music began. By
the end of his session, he was smiling and made the
comment: ‘I really enjoyed that; that was lovely, thank you’.
One of the most dramatic reactions to the music came from a female patient B. When the
workshop began, B was wandering around the unit in great distress and confusion. She was
trying to get into other beds, and was convinced that some of the medical staff were there
to harm her, not help. Whilst performing in another bay, B approached the music coordinators and was desperate to share her worries. As the musicians have always done, they
‘played along’ with her mindset – this did not involve confirming any of her fears, but simply
reassuring her. The musicians did not correct her or try to bring her into the present,
because this has been known to add to the stress already being felt by the patient. The
musicians therefore convinced B to return to her bed and went to play for her shortly after.
B was still in a state of distress when they arrived, and the musicians played a number of
tunes for her, specifically choosing more calming music. B completely relaxed and lay down
on her bed. The transformation was quick and dramatic – upon hearing the music, she
stopped trying to walk all over the ward, stopped mentioning her pain, and simply lay
listening to the music. B was too confused to comprehend any questions we asked her
about the music and memories, but the music had a profound impact upon her mood.
Conclusion
This was a more challenging pilot than the previous ones around the Trust. This was due to
the unpredictability from week to week with regards to both the level of dementia and their
physical conditions.
The layout of the ward was also more difficult as the bays felt more separate from one
another and the sound of the music could not be heard until you were in the bay where it
was taking place. This meant that the musicians had to almost re-start the workshop in each
new bay, whereas previously patients had been able to hear the music move down the ward
and therefore they were more alert and often looking forward to the music. This was a new
challenge for the musicians.
Due to staff pressures, the musicians were unable to have more interaction with the staff
during the workshops. This meant that there was also less patient-staff interaction during
the session. In the pilots at Solihull and Good Hope, the presence of staff helped to further
put patients at ease, as well as encourage them to take part. Whenever the staff were
present however, the patients were more talkative and the staff brightened their moods by
smiling and singing along.
Overall, the music sessions on ward 30 were a success – there were a large number of
patients and family members who finished the workshops smiling and looking more relaxed
than at the start. The music also brightened the general atmosphere, calmed and distracted
patients. The sharing of memories was an important aim of the pilot project, and the
workshops also achieved this. At times the music simply reinforced the general atmosphere
in a bay, particularly when there were patients who were struggling to sleep or relax. In
other sessions it changed the feeling in the bays dramatically, and had patients energetically
participating.