Singing groups for people with dementia are, in our experience, the activity families most often describe as the first thing their parent looked forward to again. Hertfordshire has at least eight that we know of, most of them run by Herts Musical Memories, and nearly all of them welcome the family member or carer too. This article explains why they work, what a session is like and where to find one.
We support people living with dementia at home across the county, and we see the same thing again and again. Someone who struggles to follow a conversation will sing every word of a song from 1955, and be lighter for the rest of the day.
Why do singing groups help people with dementia?
The Alzheimer's Society runs its own singing programme, Singing for the Brain, because singing familiar songs can be enjoyed by people at many stages of dementia and brings people together in a way that conversation sometimes cannot. We do not make clinical claims about memory, and the groups on our pages do not either. What we can say from experience is that people leave happier, and that the person doing the caring gets an hour in a room where nobody has to explain anything.
The group itself matters as much as the songs. The NHS guidance on loneliness in older people points to regular local groups as one of the things that helps most, and a singing group is a group with a reason to turn up every week.
What is a session like?
Most run for about ninety minutes with a break for tea. A leader with a guitar or a keyboard takes the room through familiar songs, with the words on a sheet or a screen. Nobody has to be able to sing. Carers and family are welcome to stay and join in, and in most groups they are expected to. Some groups, such as Singing by Heart and the intergenerational singing group at the Salvation Army in Harpenden, are shorter lunchtime sessions.
Herts Musical Memories runs groups in St Albans, Harpenden and Wheathampstead, Hemel Hempstead, Hertford and Potters Bar. Singing for Memory meets at the Masorti Synagogue in St Albans, the Music24 Singing Café at Mill Green in Welwyn Garden City, and the Clover Singing Club in Wheathampstead is open to all.
What do singing groups cost?
Several are free, including Singing by Heart in Harpenden. The Music24 Singing Café asks a suggested £5 donation. Herts Musical Memories groups ask you to call or email first, and some offer a free trial period. Where a cost is not published we say so on the page rather than guess.
How do I get a parent to a first session?
Contact the group first, because most like to know a new person is coming and will tell you how the session runs. Go together the first time and stay for the whole session. The familiar songs do most of the work, so the first visit is usually easier than families expect.
The journey is the harder part, especially for someone living with dementia. Where that is the barrier, our companionship care includes a carer who goes with someone to the group, stays, and brings them home. Our dementia care at home can be arranged around the Tuesday singing rather than instead of it.
One more thing we have learned about singing groups for people with dementia: they are often the easiest group to add care around. A carer who already comes on a Tuesday afternoon can bring the music home, and the songs from the group become part of the week at home too.
Where to find singing groups for people with dementia near you
Each of our town pages lists the singing and music groups we know of under dementia friendly, with the day, the venue, the cost and who to contact. We confirm the details with the organisers and check the pages every week.
St Albans · Harpenden · Radlett and Shenley · Hemel Hempstead · Berkhamsted · Tring · Hitchin · Hertford and Ware · Welwyn Garden City and Hatfield · Potters Bar · All of Hertfordshire
Common questions about singing groups for people with dementia
Does my parent need to be able to sing?
No. Singing groups for people with dementia are not choirs. The groups are built around familiar songs that most people know, and joining in is enough. Nobody is asked to sing alone.
Can the carer or family member stay?
Yes, and in most groups they are expected to. The groups are run for the person living with dementia and the person who comes with them, and many carers say the hour is as much for them.
Can a carer take my parent to a singing group?
Yes. A companionship carer can help someone get ready, go with them, stay for the session and bring them home. Starling Homecare's St Albans office is on 01727 324 127.
If a parent living with dementia has stopped looking forward to anything, a singing group is often where that changes. Start with the What's On for Older People pages for their town, and we are on 01727 324 127 if you would like to talk it through.
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