Refreshing playlists by adding new songs or re-evaluating existing ones can help keep personalized music fresh and relevant for your Music & Memory participants. By considering the needs of the individual listener, you can update existing playlists to maximize effectiveness.
Here are some tips to help you identify when to refresh or expand playlists:
Change in care goals. Could calming music help an individual achieve care goals, such as lowering high blood pressure of preventing sundowning? Could an upbeat playlist inspire an individual with poor circulation to walk and keep active? What kind of songs could help your participant get motivated in PT? Consider how music can help achieve positive outcomes for new care goals and what songs may need to be adjusted in order to compliment these goals.
Desire for more variation. Sometimes an individual may no longer respond positively to particular songs. We all tire of certain songs we listen to a lot. Just as we sometimes want to switch up our own playlists, your Music & Memory participants may want to hear some new music, too. Has an individual started to respond more positively to a certain artist or genre in particular? This could be a good indicator it’s time to expand or refresh a playlist.
Reaching the optimal 150 songs per playlist. Do your playlists need extra tracks? Refer to our Artist Matrix Sheet and the Music Assessment Questionnaire to help discover the favorite music that will expand your listeners’ playlists and bring them treasured memories.
If you have refreshed or expanded playlists before and have tips you’d like to share with the Music & Memory community, please email us! We’d love to hear your input.