Sing for Joy

What is Sing for Joy?

Our singing sessions include a sensitive mix of Musical Theatre Songs, Jazz, sing-a along Wartime songs, National Anthems, opera snippets and fun anthems like Bring Me Sunshine from Morecombe and Wise. We bring along props such as scarves, maracas and tambourines to encourage audience participation.

We are singing in the CHD Living chain and Carebase chain and other privately run care homes. We also provide singing for hotels and corporate and social events.

We are very aware of budget costs for enrichment activities. For a quote for sessions in your home please contact: manager@synergydanceoutreach.co.uk

Generally, care homes book us at around 11am or 2pm, and we also often coincide with birthday celebrations or special occasions, as well as weekly sessions for enrichment. We are especially experienced with singing to Dementia and Alzheimers participants, end of life, bi-polar or elderly residents. We understand that they have good days and bad days – but they respond to, and look forward to, singing – very often residents sing along or wave a scarf, or both, and very much anticipate our visits, as they would a family visitor.

Sing for Joy and the elderly

Our objectives are to provide enrichment for older people to have fun through inclusive singing sessions, gentle dance and movement sessions and including other activities, such as memory recall, which will really enhance their health and well being. For example, some residents have very low range of movement but high mental ability, others have both mental and physical ability, whilst others are on Palliative care. Some sessions are more interactive, but effort is always made to connect on a personal level with each resident – whether or not they are able to join in. It’s not just about the singing, it’s about providing company and colour to an often repetitive day.

How do they benefit?

We have delivered in local care homes and based on our previous experience, we know the expected outcome is that both singing and, where appropriate, a little gentle dancing, will definitely bring joy to the participants, improving feelings of well-being and in turn their families and carers, who will find joy in their loved one’s happiness.

Our previous work has shown us these activities can have an extraordinary positive impact on the health and well-being of participants, bringing them great enjoyment whilst participating and leaving them with lasting feelings of well-being as reported by staff and families. Music also brings additional structure to a long week when sometimes only meals can brighten up a long day towards end of life.

Improvement in general health and wellbeing of participants

Studies including “Health and well-being benefits of Singing for Older People” by Stephen Clift Rebekah Gilbert and Trish Vella-Burrows have shown the value of singing for the well-being and health of older people in light of studies published over the last 10 years which show its improvement in general health and wellbeing of participants and especially those with long term health conditions including heart disease, stroke and dementia.

Age UK recognises the many benefits singing can have on the health and wellbeing of older people including soothing them, stimulating and bringing to mind long forgotten memories https://www.ageuk.org.uk/information-advice/health-wellbeing/conditions-illnesses/dementia/dementia-and-music/ Music can have extraordinary benefits and even those with advanced dementia or Alzheimer’s who may still sing along and enjoy the music often remembering the words and music even if they are no longer able to talk.

We have case studies where Bi-Polar or Dementia residents can recall and sing all the words to The White Cliffs of Dover or the National Anthem. These experiences are by no means predictable – one week they know all the words, another they may prefer to withdraw but repeated visits have shown more consistency in improved behaviour than say – only participating once a month. They see the performers as friends and all benefit from Sing and Dance for Joy.

Studies show that as well as dance bringing joy to older people, and the health benefits of physical movement, dancing also has great social, cognitive and emotionally positive benefits. Bupa’s report on the health and well-being benefits of dance for older people http://www.cpa.org.uk/information/reviews/shall-we-dance-report.pdf shows that dance benefits both the body and mind and is beneficial in the direct treatment of a number of health conditions including arthritis, Parkinson’s disease, dementia and depression and participating in dance improves the mental health of older people including reaction times and cognitive performance. Dance can help with balance and studies have also found that regular dancing can help with the prevention of falls in older people.

Our Staff

Our staff really get to know residents and they see us as friends, who they look forward to seeing regularly, and not just “entertainment”. We receive feedback from the participants themselves and also family members and the staff and carers, who say they notice a significant increase in well being, interaction and memory and recall and general responsiveness during and following these activities.

Quote from Surrey activities co-ordinator: “We think you are awesome and have a gift that brings joy and happiness to the residents and the staff alike”.

Our team of singing and movement leaders:

• Have a degree in performing Arts/Musical Theatre
• In some cases, Masters in Performing Arts
• Are trained professional singers with experience
• Are trained in Bel Canto singing technique
• Have taken Singing exams if appropriate
• Have experience in West End musicals, function bands, and other professional musical settings