A new 24 hour radio station playing music chosen to evoke memories has been launched to help people living with dementia and their carers.
M4D Radio is a new non-commercial radio station playing songs from the 1930s through to the 1970s. Available 24 hours, 365 days a year, M4D Radio runs free of advertisements to maximise the holistic benefit of the music.
The station is part of the Music for Dementia campaign which aims to make music as accessible as possible so it can form part of the care plan for anyone affected by dementia.
Music supports people living with dementia to communicate beyond words.
M4D Radio
Music is a wonderful connector and has the ability to bring people together in the here and now. It can enliven, stimulate and enable people living with dementia to express themselves creatively through musical engagement.
Research shows – and lived experiences demonstrate – that music can help reduce the often distressing symptoms of dementia, such as agitation, apathy and anxiety.
Poignantly, music supports people living with dementia to communicate beyond words. It also supports emotional health and wellbeing, particularly at a time when emotions can be overwhelming or difficult to process or manage.
So, not only does music have a valuable role to play in enhancing quality of life, it helps carers in their vital roles.
Grace Meadows, programme director at Music For Dementia, explains the value of the radio station:
“Often people living with dementia and their carers don’t know how to access the music that matters to them.
At m4d Radio we are developing content with our listeners to make sure it’s what they want and need, through themed shows and era-specific stations in careful collaboration with our close partners.”