Dementia Action Week 2026

It’s Dementia Action Week, an opportunity to talk about the important role that live music plays in supporting people living with dementia.

We’ve been sharing the soothing sounds of live music with local dementia group ‘Merry Moments’, who meet regularly at Age Connects Torfaen, a community centre in Pontypool. Our professionally trained musicians have been bringing specially-curated live music experiences to the group twice a month for over a year thanks to funding from The National Lottery Community Fund’s ‘Awards for All’ programme.

The live music experiences have had a noticeable impact on the emotional wellbeing of members, encouraging people to become more vocal, expressive and socially engaged. Staff at the group have seen first-hand the positive effect music can have.

Sammy-Jo Jennings, Team Leader of Dementia Services at Age Connects Torfaen, shares her observations from the sessions: “All the musicians are bringing so much joy to the group. They could come in feeling down and they have a music session and go home feeling uplifted. We’ve seen loads of engagement, whether that’s getting up to dance or being more talkative after the session.”

She adds: “For our group, which supports people living with dementia and cognitive impairments, it brings back happy memories, lifts their spirits, improves their mood, and helps take their minds away from worry and overthinking. Every single member of the group comes alive with music.”

Not only can live music unlock memories for people living with dementia, it helps people to connect in ways that words sometimes can’t. It also offers an outlet for the group, getting them moving and more active.

Regulars at Age Connects Torfaen are Music in Hospitals & Care musicians Daisy Evans and Marged Hall. Daisy’s soothing voice and clarinet complement Marged’s harp, and together they perform a mix of old classics and familiar favourites.

Daisy explains: “It’s a case of reading the room and responding to what people bring to the session. Somebody might suggest a song or do an action and then that leads to the next activity or another song choice. For people with dementia, traditional songs are quite good. Daisy Bell and You Are My Sunshine work really well. Things that people know from their childhood or earlier in life, something that connects to a memory.”

Marged adds: “Sometimes it’s about trying songs you wouldn’t normally play, and a lot of the requests can be quite unexpected. You have to adapt and just make it work, which can be really rewarding. We’ve seen how powerful music can be in bringing back memories. Someone who’s been very quiet or withdrawn can suddenly respond to a song they recognise. It’s something different that can bring people back into the moment and hopefully rekindle happy memories.”

Research shows that music can help people feel calmer and more relaxed, it can lower blood pressure and improve sleep. For the ‘Merry Moments’ group, live music offers far more than entertainment. It creates meaningful moments of connection and comfort.

This Dementia Action Week, we hope to raise awareness of the positive impact live music can have in helping people living with dementia feel connected, supported and included in their communities.