September is World Alzheimer’s Month — a major campaigning period for Playlist for Life.
We spearhead National Playlist Day, a UK-wide awareness campaign that encourages people of all ages to create playlists to support wellbeing and highlights the benefits of music for people affected by dementia.
To mark the occasion, we organised a range of celebrations on Friday 19 September and took part in many more throughout the month.
Here are some of the highlights!
Our awareness campaign attracted support across the UK thanks to the incredible efforts of our partners and volunteers.
Most notably, our ambassador Sir Alex Ferguson helped us share our message with millions of people across the UK and beyond. He appeared on BBC Breakfast to launch National Playlist Day, and his interviews were picked up by dozens of major news outlets including The Sun, The Daily Mail, The Times, The Telegraph, and many more.
The interview aired in two parts, with the second showing Sir Alex meeting Ken and Mil, a couple affected by dementia. This heart-warming conversation — along with footage of Sir Alex dancing with Mil — went viral, powerfully demonstrating how, when words fail, music can still speak to people living with advanced dementia.
Our annual awareness-raising campaign kicks off this month and we celebrate National Playlist Day on Friday 19th September. We have lots happening to amplify our message about the power of playlists to improve the lives of people affected by dementia including:
Want to get involved? Find fun in-person and online activites plus social media assets you can share in our partner pack here.
Jada cares for her father-in-law who lives with dementia. She created a personal playlist for him to use during car journeys to help him feel calm while travelling. She kindly shared how using playists benefits both of them.
One of the biggest challenges I faced recently was car journeys. My father-in-law would constantly comment on my driving and it became incredibly stressful. I even tried putting him in the back seat instead of the passenger seat but it didn’t help.
Then I remembered hearing that another carer had used Playlist for Life to create a sense of calm. I decided to try it in the car, and it was a game-changer.
Since introducing the playlist, car journeys are no longer stressful. My father-in-law is back in the passenger seat and if the music isn’t quite working, we just sing a little medley of our four favourite songs, often with him leading the way.
Do you want to create a personal playlist for yourself or someone you care for? We have free resources to help get you started that you can download here.
Our merch is a also fantastic way to mark World Alzheimer’s Month and raise awareness about the difference music can make in improving dementia symptoms. From our eye-catching tote bags, t-shirts and our resource book, ‘100 Years: A Century of Song’, our shop has something for everyone, and all profits help us support people living with dementia. Visit our shop here.
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Thank you to everyone who has helped make 2024 a huge success for us. If you would like to make a contribution, please consider sharing our resources or donate to help us keep our support for people living with dementia free.
