Six Cinnamon Care Collection care homes were the first in the country to receive Take Note Music in Care bronze awards, recognising their work using music to support people living with dementia. The awards were presented on Tuesday 24 February at Eden Court care home in Battersea, following a collaborative pilot project between the University of Roehampton and Cinnamon Care Collection.
The Take Note initiative launched in 2024 and focuses on the benefits of music for older adults in care settings, particularly those living with dementia. Professor Adam Ockelford and Senior Researcher Dr Fi Costa from the University of Roehampton led the study, created the awards, and presented them to the recipients at the ceremony.
The work sits alongside Roehampton’s wider research into music and wellbeing, including the Sounds of Intent research which explores how music can support communication and learning for people with diverse needs.
Professor Adam Ockelford said,
“Our Take Note research resulted in the creation of a set of resources that feature 100 music-based ideas for carers to use with older people and those living with dementia. Building on this, 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, enabling those living with dementia to reap the benefits of the power of music to awaken old skills, enable the learning of new ones, and rekindle memories.”
To achieve the bronze award, care home providers 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 cues was also considered an important part of the programme to help residents anticipate activities, 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.
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 Professor Adam Ockelford and Dr Fi Costa from the University of Roehampton, and for Cinnamon Care Collection care homes to have been involved in the pilot programme for their national roll out."
The six Cinnamon Care Collection care homes which achieved the bronze award are Eden Court, Rectory Court, Leah Lodge, Mornington Court, Sutton Park Grange and Watermeadow Grange. The Take Note Awards are valid for two years, after which re validation will be necessary. These homes will now prepare for the silver award, which takes a further four months to complete.
Music for Children with Special Abilities and Needs: Sounds of Intent