Music and movement programme boosts care home wellbeing, research finds

A digital music and movement programme has been shown to improve wellbeing for both care home residents and staff, according to new research led by the University of Stirling.

The evaluation assessed the danceSing Care digital platform over a 12-month period in 78 care homes across all Scottish health boards. The platform combines online music and movement group sessions which are led in-person by care home staff.

Researchers found that residents taking part in the activities reported lower levels of loneliness and reduced fear of falling, while staff delivering the sessions reported higher wellbeing, lower stress levels and improved job satisfaction.

Residents and staff completed surveys at the start of the programme and again at six and 12 months.

The evaluation was led by Professor Anna Whittaker of the University of Stirling’s Centre for Research and Innovation in Sport (CRIS), part of the Faculty of Health Sciences and Sport.

Professor Anna Whittaker

Professor Whittaker said: “Physical activity is widely recognised as a key factor in maintaining health and quality of life among older adults. However, delivering consistent exercise opportunities in residential care settings can be challenging due to staffing pressures, varying resident abilities and limited access to specialist instructors.

“Digital platforms such as danceSing Care aim to address these barriers by providing flexible, accessible resources designed specifically for older adults.

“Our research found that danceSing Care can contribute to improved wellbeing metrics for both care home residents and staff.

“This suggests it would be beneficial to implement an evidence-based resource like this more widely to support physical, mental and social activity and improve the health of older people and their carers.”

The danceSing Care platform provides pre-recorded sessions of around 20 minutes, delivered by care home staff. Activities include chair-based exercise, strength and balance training, and dance styles such as salsa and ballroom. Staff receive training to deliver the sessions safely and adapt movements to residents’ individual abilities.

Researchers note that the evaluation was designed as a programme assessment rather than a controlled research trial, meaning the findings should be interpreted as preliminary. The team recommends further investigation through a larger cluster-randomised controlled trial to assess a broader range of health outcomes.

The paper Evaluation of the Impact of Digital Music and Movement on Care Home Staff and Resident Outcomes was published in the journal Advances in Geriatric Medicine and Research.

The research was funded by the Scottish Government Digital Directorate, which awarded £125,000 to danceSing to support the project. Of this, £15,000 was allocated to the University of Stirling for consultancy on methodology and analysis.

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