Music Therapy and Social Work Telehealth for Older Adult Well-Being

Summary

This study investigates the benefits of using telehealth services, specifically a combination of music therapy and social work support, to improve the well-being of older adults. Investigators are focusing on outcomes such as reduced loneliness, improved cognition, and how well older adults with and without dementia perceive the quality of the services received. This research is crucial because as the population ages and conditions like Alzheimer's become more prevalent, effective psychosocial interventions are needed.

The collaborative telehealth approach of the intervention in this study strives to connect older adults to community and health-related services. Older adults experience challenges in accessing services related to transportation, social support, and finances. While the pandemic prompted a rapid shift of healthcare services online, including music therapy and social work, questions remain about the quality of this transition, especially for older adults who may not be familiar with or have the resources for telehealth.

In this pilot study, investigators are studying music therapy and social work support through telehealth to understand how this approach can impact the well-being, cognition, and service quality for older adults, both with and without dementia. Social workers, who focus on improving well-being and addressing various needs, can leverage the therapeutic relationship built by music therapists to better identify and meet service needs. This pilot study builds on a feasibility project, which indicated that this collaborative framework is acceptable, valuable, and of interest to older adults, facilitating remote community connection. Through this research, investigators aim to evaluate the effectiveness of telehealth services for older adults to inform a future larger trial.

Conditions

• Aging Well
• Dementia
• Telemedicine

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Music Therapy Telehealth

Music Therapy: delivered via Zoom by a board-certified music therapist (MT-BC) 30-min 2x/week for 4 weeks (8 sessions total); follows the Clinical Practice Model, which guides customizations of various music experiences (e.g., singing, songwriting, movement, relaxation, lyric discussion, improvisation, instrument play, etc.) per participants' strengths, interests, preferences, culture, and momentary responses. Each participant works with the same MT-BC throughout the study.

BEHAVIORAL

Non-Collaborative Social Work Telehealth

Social Work: delivered via Zoom by a licensed social worker (SW) or supervised SW graduate student 3x for 30-min: 1) after 2 weeks MT (assessment), 2) after 4 weeks MT (service referral), 3) 2-week follow-up. SWs operate independently from MT-BCs to identify possible participant service referral needs using the Aging and Memory Quality of Life Survey (AMQoL), baseline data, SW session interactions, and SW Referral Worksheet. Each participant works with the same SW throughout the study.

BEHAVIORAL

Collaborative Social Work Telehealth

Social Work: delivered via Zoom by a licensed SW or supervised SW graduate student 3x for 30-min: 1) after 2 weeks MT (assessment), 2) after 4 weeks MT (service referral), 3) 2-week follow-up. In addition to the AMQoL, baseline data, SW session interactions, and the SW Referral Worksheet, SWs collaborate fully with MT-BCs, have full access MT session notes, and can discuss participants' needs with MT-BC to identify possible participant service referral needs. Each participant works with the same SW throughout the study.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• American Music Therapy Association

  collaborator OTHER

• Alaine E Hernandez, PhD

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Alaine E Reschke-Hernandez, PhD · University of Kentucky

• Allison Gibson, PhD · St. Louis University

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH

Masking

DOUBLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

65 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2024-03-19

Primary Completion

2025-07-14

Completion

2025-07-25

Countries

• United States

Study Locations