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Arts & Communication Music therapy and elderly people in home care

care, a population primarily composed of the elderly addressed in music therapy for the elderly (which were
individuals . In addition, activities such as movement classified into physical, emotional, communicational,
[30]
to music, sharing musical memories, singing, and playing cognitive, musical, social, spiritual, and self-consciousness).
instruments have shown the potential to enhance self- Furthermore, it aided in the selection of evaluation scales
expression, satisfaction, and meaning in the lives of elderly and the inclusion of their respective items in the evaluation
individuals [12,15,22] . It is worth noting that research focusing protocol used in this research [31,32] .
on individual music therapy in home care settings is
notably scarce, possibly due to the prevalent practice of 2.1. Participants
conducting music therapy research in group sessions, In this study, a total of 20 elderly individuals were randomly
especially among institutionalized elderly individuals in selected from Captamed’s patient portfolios. Inclusion
nursing homes [9,10-12,25,26] . criteria required participants to be aged 65 years or older
and willing to participate in the research. The exclusion
The growing demand for novel approaches to promote
the health of the elderly population, the limited research criteria encompassed individuals who had previously
in the specific area of music therapy within home health undergone music therapy sessions and/or had severe
care for this age group, and the well-documented benefits hearing loss, with hearing diagnoses confirmed through
of music therapy in other contexts collectively justify the prior evaluation carried out by a physician at Captamed.
Following the application of these inclusion and exclusion
pursuit of this research. The main objective of this study criteria to the 20 randomly selected patients, they were
was to assess the effects of music therapy on the overall divided into two groups: the control group and the
health of elderly patients receiving home health care under intervention group, each consisting of ten members. This
the care of Captamed Cuidados Continuados Ltda. The division was made according to the interest and availability
research seeks to provide a quantitative analysis of the of the patients and their families to participate in the music
effects of music therapy to establish a more consistent therapy intervention sessions.
validation of the benefits it confers. The results are expected
to demonstrate a positive influence of music therapy Patients in the intervention group underwent both
interventions on the overall health condition of the elderly initial and final evaluative sessions, in addition to 12 weekly
recipients. Given the limited prospects for rehabilitation music therapy sessions. Patients in the control group,
in the elderly population, the preservation of well-being on the other hand, attended initial and final evaluative
or deceleration in the rate of decline resulting from music sessions but did not receive any music therapy treatment
therapy interventions would already be considered a gain throughout the course of this research. All patients,
for this population. regardless of their group assignment, continued to receive
their usual care (other therapies and health follow-ups)
2. Materials and methods throughout the research period.
This study is a prospective and observational investigation 2.2. Intervention
involving elderly patients receiving home health care.
The research was conducted between April 2017 and All participants in the intervention group received
February 2018 in an urban center in the Southeastern individual music therapy sessions once a week, each
region of Brazil, with in-person music therapy sessions lasting 60 min. A total of 12 sessions were conducted
and evaluations. Ethical approval was obtained from the over a 3-month period by a qualified music therapist who
Commission of Ethics in Research of Captamed Company provided the patients with receptive, improvisational, and
re-creative musical experiences adapted to each individual’s
and the Committee of Ethics in Research of the Federal interests and capabilities . Various musical instruments,
[18]
University of Minas Gerais. The approval is under registry including the harp, diatonic bells, percussion instruments,
CAAE 71177717.2.0000.5149 in the Plataforma Brasil wind instruments, and a tablet for playing recorded songs,
research protocols system. To participate in the research, were used. The selection of songs was based on the patient’s
both patients and their families signed the respective music background and affective memory and included
Terms of Consent and Terms of Assent.
activities such as analyzing lyrics, singing, and recording,
Before this main research, a pilot study was conducted as commonly practiced in music therapy that involves
by the same scientific team. This preliminary investigation re-creation practices [18,29,33] . In addition, the music therapy
enabled the development of an activity script composed sessions proposed breathing exercises, relaxation, and
of music therapy procedures for both evaluation and meditation practices according to each patient’s needs [32,33]
intervention sessions. In addition, the pilot study provided (see Supplementary Material for examples of music therapy
valuable insights into the multidimensional aspects procedures).

Volume 1 Issue 2 (2023) 3 https://doi.org/10.36922/ac.0396