Care for the Elderly wards running live music sessions for Princess of Wales patients
A team of Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board staff in the Care for the Elderly wards at Princess of Wales hospital have partnered with Daring to Dream, a local charity, to run fortnightly live music sessions for patients and visitors on the wards.
Daring to Dream supports the emotional health and wellbeing of adults in Wales living with illness, and they began working with the Care for the Elderly team 18 months ago.
Staff were keen to work with the charity to transform the day rooms on the wards, which were not being used very often by patients and or their visitors. Staff wanted to encourage patients to leave their rooms by providing them with more opportunities to socialise and take part in activities.
Daring to Dream sourced funding to launch a pilot project in May 2024, working with staff to bringing live musicians to perform in the day rooms and introduce regular music sessions for patients and their visitors.
Themusic sessions are now soon to resume on a permanent fortnightly basis, and have proved extremely popular with patients, visitors and staff at Princess of Wales hospital.
Throughout the project, patients and the other attendees have sung along with the music, with some even getting up and dancing.
One of the musicians reported that one family visitor of a patient told them, t was the most reaction they’d seen from their grandfather.
Catherine Hinkin, Senior Nurse on the Care for the Elderly Wards at Princess of Wales said: “Patients on the care of the elderly wardshave enjoyed listening and singing along to the music. The patients have been encouraged to request music which the musicians have then played for them. It has been lovely to see and hear the patients singing along. It has helped to brighten up their day and given them something to look forward to.
Barbara Chidgey, Founder and Chair of Daring to Dream said: “The joy patients and their visitors get from their musical afternoons is so heart-warming. The patients and their visitors love the musical afternoons. Their feedback is touching and genuine. To be able to bring such fun and music and an important boost to their emotional health is such a pleasure for Daring to Dream and exactly what we are all about.”
Going forward, the staff hope to continue to work with Daring to Dream to support the music sessions, and as the charity also sources the rest of the funding to renovate and update the dayrooms.
21/08/2024