Five Questions With… Morna Russell
Every fortnight, we sit down with people with direct experience of using meaningful music and personal playlists to support people living dementia. In this edition, we are joined by Morna Russell, an Occupational Therapist based in Edinburgh.
Hi Morna. Thanks for joining us. Tell us about your job and what motivates you in the role.
I work as an Occupational Therapy Team Lead on Older Adults Mental Health wards in NHS Lothian. As Occupational Therapists (OTs) we always look at people’s skills and strengths, as well as areas they may have difficulty in. Understanding people’s life history and finding out what is important to them is crucial to their care. Every day is different, and I love meeting people and hearing about their lives. We work with people while they are in hospital and if someone is able to return home, I also have the privilege of working with them there, where I often see a different side to them.
What made you want to complete Playlist for Life’s training and how has it helped you develop your professional skills?
I was fortunate to be able to attend a talk by Sally Magnusson when she launched the charity and hearing about the effect that personalised music had on her mother throughout her illness was inspiring. I was able to secure funding from our NHS Charity for the training and equipment and took it from there! Since then, over the past 10 years we have created numerous personal playlists with people and these have been used as part of care plans to reduce distress, to help staff and families find another means of communication with a person or just for enjoyment.
Can you tell us about a time you’ve seen the power of meaningful music for action as an Occupational Therapist? How often would an OT use music in their role?
As OTs we use music regularly as part of our work with people who have dementia or mental health conditions. Sometimes it is used as an activity or as an aid to help someone engage in things like an exercise session. We use it often in groups or individually as it’s so versatile and really helps bring people together.
It’s amazing to see people blossom when they hear a piece of music that has meaning for them. I can recall one lady who was very withdrawn and while she was quietly singing along to a song she knew, her whole posture changed. She sat up straight, gave direct eye contact and sang in a strong, confident voice. At the end of the song she said: “That was lovely, it took me back to myself.” What could be a better endorsement?!
What’s one thing that you do for own wellbeing that you’d recommend to others?
I go to a women’s jogging group which not only provides physical exercise but is also very sociable. I can sometimes find it difficult to get the motivation to go, but once I’m there I love it! I also try to set aside time just to do nothing, in our busy lives this can be difficult to do, but it’s lovely to sit outside on a nice day and just let your mind wander!
Thank you to Morna for sharing her experience of using meaningful music to support people living with dementia.
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Morna's personal playlist
All Things Bright and Beautiful (hymn)
This reminds me of going to church every Sunday during my childhood and sitting on the hard, wooden pews. Standing up to sing the hymns was a welcome reprieve!
Goodwill City by Goodbye Mr Mackenzie
I have fond memories listening to this band when I was student in Edinburgh and dancing at their gigs with my friends.
Ave Maria
This was sung at my wedding by a family friend, it brings back memories of an amazing day with all the people close to us.
Times Like These by The Foo Fighters
When my son joined a band this was one of the songs they played and was often the song they finished to as it gets everyone up dancing. Parents were only allowed to watch from the back though!
White Flag by Dido
My daughter used to insist on playing this in the car every day when I picked her up from nursery, it has been ingrained in my brain ever since and I can still hear her wee voice singing along.
