Singing as a health-promoting activity in elderly care: a qualitative, longitudinal study in Norway

Background: The current standards of care of the older person recommend employing non-pharmacological approaches to challenges, including safe approaches to managing pain and stress, enhancing symptom relief, and fostering independent lifestyles with the highest quality of life possible. More research is needed to enable nurses and other medical staff to use singing and music-based interventions, to access singing-based programmes, and promote a greater use of choirs in nursing homes. A solid basis of positive experiences and feedback through evidence in practice is required to help promote support for such activities. Aims: To identify, explore and describe experiences, attitudes, beliefs, issues, processes and changes among nurses, carers and leaders in reference to implementation of the educational programme 'Singing Nursing Homes', Norway. To increase knowledge and understanding of how an educational song programme could become an integral part of nursing practice and quality of care in nursing and care homes, and identify why this would be constructive. Since its inception in 2015, 'Singing Norway' wanted to offer a professional, evidence-based programme for nursing homes throughout the country. Methods: A longitudinal, qualitative and explorative approach. In-depth interviews and focus group interviews of female employees (n = 19) from three nursing homes in Norway, 2018. Results: Nursing home employees perceived singing to have potential benefits for their patients, such as reducing uneasiness, increased comfort, well-being and joy, improved sleep, and believed singing had the potential to reduce the need for medication and prevent accidents among their patients. By facilitating opportunities for learning and practice, staff in nursing homes were able to use singing as part of their 'art of caring', enhancing environmental care for the older person. Singing was found to have positive effects for the patients, their relatives and the staff, which improved the psychosocial working climate overall. Conclusions: Singing interventions could be a vital component for the enhancement of health, well-being and quality of life for the patients and staff in nursing homes.