Improving Care for Dementia Patients: Music Therapy as an Alternative to Medication

The incidence of dementia in long-term care facilities has been increasing due to early identification and screening. This staff education topic was brought to further attention due to a trend in requests for chemical restraints in the dementia/cognitive impaired patient population by staff had increased. This staff education project was presented to the rehab center based on evidence-based practice to offer training on music therapy as an alternative therapy to medication in dementia patients. The practice-focused question identified was, “Will a staff education module on an evidence-based alternative treatment, music therapy, for dementia patients versus chemical or physical restraints increase staff knowledge in alternatives for dementia/cognitive exacerbation management.” Research evidence was reviewed, and several Level 1 research articles identified music therapy as a safe and effective alternative treatment for patients with dementia. A PowerPoint (PPT) presentation on Music Therapy was developed along with a pretest/post-test evaluation of knowledge. A total of 19 participants attended the educational session with 100% participation. A paired samples t test using EXCEL evaluated the participants’ scores and it demonstrated statistical significance with a p < .001. The mean pretest score was 54.21 and the mean posttest score was 77.89. This project identified a staff knowledge deficit and continued education would be needed to further improve the staff knowledge in management of dementia patients. Leadership at the facility were unaware of the knowledge deficit and intend to provide more education and outreach amongst the staff. The project has the potential to impact social change by offering alternative to physical and chemical restraints in patients with dementia.