Despite the progression of dementia, a person’s need to relate to and interact with other human beings remains and is still essential. Not meeting a person's psychosocial needs may cause behavioural and psychological symptoms and further result in prescriptions of pharmacological treatment. According to a person-centred understanding of dementia, it is possible to decrease behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) and reduce the prescription of pharmacological medication when psychosocial needs are met. This happens according to Tom Kitwood through positive interactions, and it therefore becomes the carer’s task to facilitate and engage in mutual, reciprocal communication with the person with dementia in a way that gives meaning and context, and where the person feels acknowledged.

In order to expand knowledge on caregiving, the PAMI study has explored and mapped gestures, expression and non-verbal signals that take place in mutual communication between persons with severe dementia and their professional carers in nursing home contexts. The group has focussed on the role of communicative musicality in reciprocal contact and define this as Person Attuned Musical Interaction, PAMI. Music therapists are trained in using musical interactions and be explicit about communicative musical components such as tempo, volume, and pitch. Music therapy sessions are based on PAMI, and such interactions are also important in activities and daily care. Therefore, the research group aimed to identify the core components for attuned and reciprocal musical interactions based on a person-centred approach. By including perspectives on transformative learning, skills sharing and indirect music therapy practice, the research group has developed a training manual and comprehensive teaching resources to be used by music therapists when they train and support carers to integrate PAMI in daily care practices.

(in English and Danish language / på dansk og engelsk)

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