Lifespan singing : working model for therapeutic singing group for the elderly

Abstract

The objective of this study was to develop a usable working method for therapeutic singing group for the elderly. Since in the near future the amount of the elderly is growing enormously the society has to interact to the changing situation. The therapeutic singing group created in this study is one solution how to offer activities and support for the well being of the elderly. This study is a participatory action research. The study is based on the researches, which have shown that singing has a possible effect on wellbeing. The data for the study was collected from my clinical training material and questionnaires. The important aspect for the case study was the spiral and cyclic working, through which the method for the model was developed. The results show that music is a good working tool to explore issues from the present and the past, to share experiences, to do remembering, to connect people from different backgrounds, to have social interaction and to refresh mind and body and to have therapeutic music experiences. The most important consideration is that music affects both biomedical and psychosocial sides of any human being.