Stuart Wood
BACKGROUND: The benefits of music in the care of older adults have been well-established. However, little is known specifically about the impact that introducing outdoor musical instruments could have on residents with dementia in care homes. AIM: To explore how outdoor percussion instruments may offer enhanced opportunities for communication and engagement among people living with complex nursing needs and dementia, their families and the wider care home community. METHOD: This pilot study employed rapid ethnographically informed naturalistic, qualitative enquiry. It used qualitative questionnaires with residents, family members and nurses ( n =15); staff observation and researcher-participant observation over a five-day period; and two one-to-one interviews held at the end of the project with a care lead and a management lead in the care homes. FINDINGS: The introduction of outdoor percussion instruments offered new insights into how music can help residents, families, nurses and carers in care home settings. The study findings demonstrated the instruments' potential impact on facilitating intergenerational interactions, encouraging meaningful activity, enhancing motivation and mood, and improving cognitive stimulation. CONCLUSION: The pilot study provided valuable preliminary indicative, qualitative insights into the introduction, use and evaluation of outdoor percussion instruments in a care home setting. Further research is warranted to explore the impact of the instruments in the wider nursing care context.