We’re honoured to be joined by by Professor Martin Green, Chief Executive of Care England for this month’s Five Questions With. Martin shares the benefits of becoming a member of the organisation and why he thinks music is one of the most powerful tools for people living with dementia.
Hi Martin. Thank you for joining us. What would you say is the value of care providers becoming a member? And could you share your priorities in supporting the wellbeing of the care workforce?
There are several benefits to being a member of Care England.
Firstly, there are a range of savings that you can make through the special deals we have negotiated with suppliers to the sector, including utilities, this can see services making very significant cost savings.
We also provide unparalleled information and advice for the sector, and there are opportunities for Care England members to access a range of advice lines so they can get the most up-to-date information and advice that will help them deliver high quality cost-effective care.
Care England also lobbies on behalf of the sector and identifies the most important issues for our members, and challenges central and local government, and the regulator, on issues that undermine the sectors long term future. We have even taken legal action and judicial reviews, to challenge unacceptable and unlawful behaviours from the government, regulators, and commissioners.
You have always been a leader, driving change in the health and social care sector, what motivates you? And what do you enjoy most about being Chief Executive of Care England?
I visit a lot of care homes and encounter people who use care services, their families, and the dedicated staff who deliver transformational care. This, and my own personal experience of having to navigate the care system, motivates me to seek recognition for the people who receive and deliver care. The people who deliver care are unsung heroes in our society, and I want them to have better recognition, greater rewards, and more respect.
You have always been a champion of music in care. Can you share an example of when you’ve witnessed the power of music in action for someone living with dementia or in another care environment?
I think music is so powerful and is so much a part of people’s lives. I cannot imagine life without music, and I have seen the enormous impact it has on people living with dementia. I witnessed somebody who was non-verbal, but through music was able to participate with their daughter in moving to a song that they had sung together during his daughter’s childhood. This is one of many examples where I have seen people living with dementia get obvious pleasure and connection with others through music, and I have seen people connect with the essence of who they are and with their personal history by their connection with music.
Music can sometimes be seen as a ‘nice-to-have’ in care settings. What can be done to shift this perception and make music a key part of dementia care? Would you encourage all care providers to consider music as part of person-centred care?
I think music is an essential part of most people’s lives and musical preferences should be part of any individual care assessment. I would encourage all care providers to think about how they use music to connect with the person’s sense of self, to enable people to reminisce about important parts of their life, and to connect people within a residential care home and foster a sense of community. Music can act as an important part of connections between residents and their families and friends. I believe music is one of the most powerful tools we have to support people living with dementia.
Knowing Me, Knowing You ABBA
The moment I hear this song I’m transported back to my time at university and the fun we used to have partying in the fantastic discotheques of 1980s in Newcastle upon Tyne.
Parler a Mon Pere, Celine Dion
I love this song, which is sung in French, because it makes me sometimes melancholy, and it reminds me that I would love to be able to ‘speak to my father again’.
Zadok The Priest
This is the most amazing piece of music that builds beautifully to a crescendo and evokes a sense of being British. When I was at school we did some research on coronation music for the Queens Silver Jubilee, and we watched her coronation in colour in the school hall. This brings back so many wonderful memories of my school, my friends and of the magnificent and unique ceremony of crowning a great Queen.
Get into the Groove, Madonna
This track reminds me so much of school and university days and those wonderful nights on the disco floor dancing with friends, laughing and drinking too much.
Anti-Hero, Taylor Swift
I only discovered Taylor Swift’s music a couple of years ago and I particularly like this song because of the clever way she uses the lyrics to make her point, accompanied by very catchy music.
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