Borough Care teams up with EDUCATE

Borough Care teams up with EDUCATE For music and laughter project 

Borough Care, the largest not for profit provider of care for older people in Stockport, has signed up to the EDUCATE Music and Laughter project.  EDUCATE is a Stockport based group of people living with dementia, who raise awareness and help deliver training programmes.  EDUCATE inspires others to live well with dementia. The Music and Laughter project is also being promoted by Fabulous Forgetful Friends, an involvement group for people living with dementia in Manchester.

Borough Care has over 20 years of experience supporting people with dementia. The company offers dementia support through a range of services, including residential care, active recovery and day care provision.  Borough Care has partnered with EDUCATE to put on a range of musical performances and events for residents.  

The overall aim of the Music and Laughter project is to put people with dementia in the driving seat when it comes to the music they listen to, sing or play.  As part of the project, a number of musical events will be put on for Borough Care residents.  These will involve performances by the residents themselves, professional musicians and the EDUCATE-Stockport school intergenerational choir.  Events will also be arranged by Music in Hospitals & Care, a charity that brings live music to people in hospitals and care settings throughout the UK.

Sophie Gardiner, Area Manager at Borough Care, says: “Experiencing music can help provide a better quality of life for people with dementia and improve their overall physical and mental wellbeing.  Music accesses a different part of the brain than language so it can be used to communicate or engage with someone with dementia even if they no longer speak or respond to words. Many of our residents love music and the musical activities we put on are always popular.  The Music and Laughter project will give our residents even more opportunities to enjoy, and participate in, musical events.”      

Music has many benefits for people living with dementia.  It helps people express their feelings, taps into powerful memories and emotions, helps a person connect with others around them and can reduce social isolation.