Cinnamon Care Homes Receive the First ‘Take Note Music in Care’ Bronze Awards from the University of Roehampton
Six Cinnamon Care Collection care homes are the first in the country to receive Take Note Music in Care bronze awards, in recognition of meeting a new standard created by the University of Roehampton relating to the power of music in dementia care.
The awards are an extension of a collaborative and successful pilot project between the University of Roehampton and Cinnamon Care Collection called Take Note, which launched in 2024 focusing on the benefits of music for older adults in care settings, particularly those living with dementia. Professor Adam Ockelford and Senior Researcher Dr Fi Costa from the University of Roehampton led the study, created the awards, and presented them to the recipients at a wonderful awards ceremony at Eden Court care home in Battersea.
Professor Adam Ockelford said, “Our Take Note research resulted in the creation of a set of resources that feature 100 music-based ideas for carers to use with older people and those living with dementia. Building on this, we established the Take Note Music in Care bronze, silver and gold awards to create a national Quality Standards scheme for dementia care providers, using the Take Note resources as a basis, in line with CQC best practice. We have launched these with Cinnamon Care Collection, a recognised centre of excellence in dementia care, and hope that other care providers will want to roll out these accreditations, enabling those living with dementia to reap the benefits of the power of music to awaken old skills, enable the learning of new ones, and rekindle memories.”
To achieve the bronze award, care home providers had to provide evidence of implementing a number of the Take Note ideas over a four-month period. This included enabling at least five residents to have playlists of favourite music that they can access, carers singing songs with at least five residents every day for fun and to help communication, and giving at least one resident the opportunity to learn or re-learn an instrument. Instilling sound queues was also considered an important part of the programme to help residents anticipate an activity, for example, sounding a small gong to indicate that it is time for lunch or shaking a tambourine when a group music session is about to start.
Geoff Pride, Wellbeing & Lifestyle Manager, Cinnamon Care Collection, said, “The Take Note Music in Care bronze award has led to a huge amount of enjoyment and engagement for residents, team members, residents’ family members, and members of the local community. All six of our care homes that took part in the award passed with flying colours, impressing the judges (Professor Adam Ockelford and Dr Fi Costa) with their passion and commitment to the project and the many wonderful examples shown through video evidence of the power of music in relation to dementia care. We are now looking at rolling out the award to other care homes in our group.”
The six Cinnamon Care Collection care homes which have achieved bronze award success are Eden Court, Rectory Court, Leah Lodge, Mornington Court, Sutton Park Grange, and Watermeadow Grange. The Take Note Awards are valid for two years, after which re-validation will be necessary. These six care homes will now go on to prepare for the silver award, which takes a further four months to complete.
Hedvika Pavluchova, Wellbeing & Lifestyle Co-ordinator from Rectory Court, one of the bronze award recipients, said, “ I have learned how powerful music can be in supporting people living with a condition such as dementia or some kind of physical disability, when residents can feel isolated. Music is more than just a source of entertainment; it has the ability to connect with areas of the brain even when memory or language/ speech decline.
Charlie Kaspers, Wellbeing & Lifestyle Co-Ordinator at Mornington Court, another bronze award recipient, added: “The most important thing I have learned from the Take Note Awards is the value of truly listening and noticing the small details that make the biggest difference. Music can connect, comfort and inspire. I will continue the practice of really listening, slowing down and using music as a tool to create meaningful moments and experiences.”
Cinnamon Care Collection was selected as a finalist in this year’s Research & Evaluation Award organised by NAPA (National Activity Providers Association), in recognition of its ongoing initiative with the University of Roehampton and is incorporating the provision of music into its new dementia strategy which is being rolled out to all 23 care homes in the group.
The Take Note resources were officially launched on 22 October 2024 at the ‘Take Note Conference’ at the University of Roehampton. The Take Note cards containing music-based ideas are available to buy through Amazon, Routledge, Waterstones, Abe Books and other major booksellers and retailers. They are aimed at music practitioners and therapists working in hospitals or daycare centres to use in their day-to-day activities for patients, as well as for home and personal use by people looking for ways to effectively use music to enrich the experience of family members who have dementia.
