‘We are unique in that we are probably the only organisation in the country which visits the same homes each month in order to build on the responses achieved in previous successive concerts.’ ‘The last nine years have been an exciting journey of discovery into dealing with dementia sufferers’

From it’s earliest beginnings with 11 residential homes in Rotherham Lost Chord has expanded into many parts of South Yorkshire and North Nottinghamshire. We regularly receive requests for concerts from much further a field. With extra funding we could do so much more!

Dementia is a gradual deterioration of the brain activity. This displays itself in a gradual but severe loss of memory until the sufferer is unable to walk, talk, eat et. All the life long skills learnt over the years seem to deteriorate. However it is a well proven fact that the aural sense is the last sense to diminish, so it is vitally important that we keep stimulating this sense for as long as possible. While short term memory appears to be the first to go, long term memory can remain intact for much longer. The interactive sessions are designed to stimulate that long term memory.

‘We aim to have an effect on dementia sufferers by using music to stimulate the areas of the brain which are still intact. We’re hoping to maintain some sort of communication with these residents for a longer period of time through the different stages of the disease. This is particularly important where verbal communication is no longer possible’

‘Each month those of us involved in the scheme experience new dimensions of its effectiveness, which merely confirm scientific evidence that there are certain areas of the brain associated with musical patterns which remain potentially responsive, even when other areas have virtually deteriorated.’