Location:
Barchester Care Home
Chalfont St Peter
Buckinghamshire
Date of installation: 2008
Freenotes outdoor musical instruments - music to the ears of care home residents
An outdoor installation of giant musical instruments has proved music is the best medicine for elderly patients at a Buckinghamshire care home.
A huge drum kit and a two-metre high set of tubular bells, supplied by Wicksteed Playscapes, has been just the therapy for Chalfont Lodge residents since they were placed in the tranquil gardens of the Barchester Home, in Chalfont St Peter.
Today (November 6), residents, guests and Wicksteed representatives celebrated the arrival of the Freenotes equipment, which has been installed at the end of a sculpture trail overlooking the home's lake - named the ‘Sounding Garden and First Sculpture Site'.
The idea was the brainchild of Barchester's head music therapist Stuart Wood, who has been heading up a unique and pioneering collaboration between Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy in Barchester homes across the UK since 2005.
He said: "Music is a big part of our lives at Chalfont Lodge and many of the activities and therapy we provide incorporates music in some way. Everyone can make music and it's a great way to gel with others. One of the residents here has already said that when his grandson visits he has now got somewhere to take him and they can enjoy making music together.
"Being able to place musical instruments outdoors and use the beautiful grounds was a perfect combination for us and, apart from the social benefits, the installation has encouraged residents to exercise and get out into the fresh air. The amount of pleasure they bring cannot be underestimated."
He continued: "We were attracted to the ‘Freenotes' range because of the quality of materials used and their durability. The process of installing them has been incredibly easy too. Wicksteed simply ticked every box."
But it's not just Chalfont residents that have benefited from the Freenotes range. They've also been a hit at another Barchester Homes' site at Wood Grange, in Bourne, Lincolnshire. Here a giant xylophone, which is accessible to wheelchair users, and a set of drums, has been installed, as part of an ongoing emphasis on outdoor, adult play equipment. General Manager Helen O'Leary said: "We've only had the instruments a short time but they've been a big success. It's great for our residents to be able to do things that require little help from us and feel the freedom of their past lives. We don't want them to see the home as a prison, but a lovely, exciting place - with sound and light and stimulation. Everyone thinks that older people can't have fun but we have proved them wrong!"
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