Can telehealth music therapy support people with dementia and their family caregivers living in the community? An interdisciplinary exploration involving experts by experience

This thesis consists of eight studies which explore how telehealth music therapy may support people with dementia and their family caregivers living at home. The benefits of music therapy for people with dementia has been well documented. However, the remote delivery of music therapy via telehealth is an emerging area of practice and literature on its potential role for this population is sparse. Additionally, much of this research is situated in the context of the Covid-19 crisis. Little is known or documented regarding the role of telehealth music therapy for this population outside of this context. This research project aims to contribute to these specific gaps in the literature. Collectively, the research project is guided by public and patient involvement through embedded consultation throughout the research process. This involvement aimed to ensure that the research conducted is relevant and applicable to people with dementia and their family caregivers living in the community.

Through consultation with the PPI contributors, it became apparent that there was a need to identify (a) what music experiences were available for people with dementia, and (b) develop an understanding of how to determine which music experience may be most appropriate to meet their psychosocial needs. This is the focus of Chapter 2. Chapter 3 focuses on the factors that must be considered when designing a telehealth music therapy programme for this population. Results of the online survey illuminated the diverse range of technologies and applications that people with dementia use to access music at home. Chapter 4 explores music therapists experience of providing telehealth music therapy for people with dementia and both their family and formal caregivers via semi-structured interviews. Chapter 5 describes how person-centred dementia care can be facilitated in music therapy practice. The collective findings of these studies informed by the studies presented in Chapter 6 & 7. Chapter 6 explores how telehealth music therapy can support people with dementia and spouses residing at home. Through the presentation of two case examples, results highlighted that telehealth music therapy can offer a meaningful way for the dyad to interact with one another. Chapter 7 presents the findings of an online music-based meditation programme to support family caregivers of people with dementia. Overall, the research findings suggest that psychosocial supports for people with dementia and their family caregivers can be successfully facilitated online. Chapters 8 and 9 explore the experiences of PPI contributors involved in this research project through song discussion and songwriting.

Given the exploratory nature of this research project, further research is warranted to extend the findings due to the small sample size. Nonetheless, the findings of this research project contribute to a rapidly emerging body of evidence of how telehealth music therapy can support people with dementia and their family caregivers living at home, expanding access to those who are not able to access music therapy in person due to geographical location, increased cognitive decline, reduced mobility, or lack of transport.