Exploring your soundscape: Engaging with stakeholders in dementia care to explore the potential of sound

The number of incidences of dementia is predicted to increase. Alternatives to clinical and medical approaches are needed to improve their general wellbeing and quality of life. Research has shown how music can positively impact people living with dementia in advanced stages of the disease. This paper will introduce a project that explores the relation and potential of (ambient) sound and dementia. The specific study in this paper examines the impact of personalised soundscapes of everyday sounds through a workshop. Stakeholders in dementia care at a care provider in the Netherlands were invited to engage with researchers and explore their own relationship with ambient non-musical sounds and discuss the potential for dementia care.