Campaign for change

Campaign for Change

... Engagement through advocacy

Let's get music to everyone
Music and The Brain Foundation supports an international campaign for every person with dementia to have a playlist and everyone who loves or cares for them to know how to use it.

Imagine if GPs prescribed a playlist to everyone with dementia at the point of diagnosis.
Imagine if there were volunteers in libraries throughout Australia, using the computers to help carers make a playlist for those in their care. This could be an extension of the iPAD for Seniors program currently provided in libraries.
Imagine if every Health Service had an in-house Music Sleuth who knew how to identify and find personal music and use it – whether someone is on a trolley in Accident & Emergency, admitted as an in-patient or simply attending an appointment.

You can help make this happen
Speak with your elected representatives about the power of music and your experience with playlists.

Federal and State: Ask them to request that the Health Minister investigate letting GPs prescribe starter playlists, available free at the point of need, on Medibank.
Local councilors: Ask them to offer local libraries as Help Points and get training happening for Music Help Point volunteers.

Music and The Brain Foundation is campaigning for all these things in response to the Draft Report from the Royal Commission into Aged Care within Australia. Australians know that:-

Anti psychotic drugs are often used to reduce dementia behaviours, but can have significant side effects.
The royal commission's interim report has found an over-reliance on these drugs in aged care facilities.
Non-drug treatments like hand massage and access to personal music work at least as well to treat agitation and aggression without accumulative and harmful toxic effect.

Given the relative and comparative affordability of personal music as an intervention, we want all people with dementia to have access to their own personal playlists.

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