Residents at Drayton Village Care Centre in West Drayton, part of the Gold Care Homes group, welcomed Music for Dementia to the home as its free m4dRADIO service launched on DAB digital radio.
The visit formed part of a local tour introducing the station, which has been created specifically with people living with dementia in mind and offers uninterrupted music from the 1940s through to the 1980s, without adverts, news or presenters.
Among those exploring the station was resident, Penelope, who spent time listening to music from the 1950s with her daughter Ruth.
After spotting the m4dRADIO van outside the home, Ruth and her mum decided to tune in.
Ruth said:
“We saw the van outside and decided to put the radio station on. We’ve been singing along to Doris Day and then Cliff Richard, who my mum actually saw in concert when she was a teenager.”
“We chose the 1950s option, and I think being able to pick an era and mix it up is a great idea. It’s fantastic for my mum and the other residents.”
For Drayton Village, which provides dementia care alongside residential and nursing care, getting to know the music connected to individual residents’ lives is another way of understanding the person behind the care they receive.
Laura Steward, Head of Dementia and Lifestyle at Gold Care Homes, said:
“Music can be incredibly personal. A particular song might be connected to a relationship, a place, a celebration or simply a period of someone’s life that is important to them.”
“When we support someone living with dementia, getting to know those individual preferences is really important. It isn't about assuming that everyone of a similar age wants to hear the same music. It’s about understanding the person and finding the music that means something to them.
“Resources like m4dRADIO give our teams and families another simple way to explore that, whether music becomes part of a group activity, starts a conversation or is simply something a resident chooses to sit and enjoy.”
Matthew Bowden, Home Manager at Drayton Village Care Centre, said:
“What we saw during the visit is exactly why individual choice matters. One resident might want music from the 1950s, while someone else has completely different favourites.”
“Those preferences tell us something about the person, and they can give families and our team something to enjoy and talk about together. We’re looking forward to making the resource part of life here at Drayton Village.”
Amy Shackleton, CEO at Music for Dementia, said:
“We were delighted to team up with Gold Care Homes with our m4dRADIO DAB launch campaign. Their residents and staff gave us a great reception. It was particularly wonderful chatting to residents about their favourite songs.”
