Music for Elders: A Case Study in an Elderly Home

Abstract

Elders are persons 60 or more years old, who currently count for 12.3% of the population in Sri Lanka. The elderly population in the country is growing significantly, from 4.3% in 1973 to 11.5% in 2022. Until their retirement, the elders maintain dignified and energetic life and care for their families, fulfill responsibilities, and lead independent lives. The elderly age is the stage at which they expect care, love, and dignity from their loved ones. Until recent decades, the elders have commonly lived with their nuclear families, but with recent social changes, busy lifestyles, and families living abroad seeking better lives, the elders increasingly have no choice but to live in elderly homes. The age that needs more care, love, security, and happiness, remains lonely in such homes. This study focuses on how elders feel in elderly homes and how music contributes to their lives. A case study focusing on a selected elderly home setting in the Gampaha district will try to answer the question whether music helps their mental health and wellbeing in the new environment. The theoretical frame of this pilot study lies in the sub-field of ethnomusicology called applied ethnomusicology. Taking Kenneth Brummel-Smith (Alzheimer’s disease), Alicia Ann Clair (Dementia), and Theresa A. Allison’s research studies into consideration, this case study uses qualitative research methodology.