Care home music

[Whoopitywhoops]

I passed a care home today and it must have been a Christmas party or something as the music was loud. It was the usual Vera Lynn style war music. It got me thinking. Will care homes ever move on from this style of music? The vast majority of residents even now won't remember songs like 'we'll meet again' as they came out over 80 years ago and although some will be in their 80s and 90s they'll only have been very young at this time. I can't see care homes playing Taylor Swift etc in 80 years but if I ever end up in a care home I'd be sick of my life if I had to sit and listen to Vera Lynn and co. Will it ever move on?

They can’t really win (although I hope they sort it out by the time I get into one).

I currently know 3 people living in assisted/independent living. They range in age from 90+ to 75.

That’s a big age difference for music, especially between the 50’s - 70’s style wise. Their youngest residents will be in their 70’s so 18yo in ‘65… the oldest were the same age in ‘45 or so.

I feel like every 10 years or so there should be an official reset in these places to bring the frame of reference to the current median age.

I have often wondered this

I hope though, when and If I am in a Home, it will be the music of the 1970s and the 1980s. As a Generation X that would please Me

I often wonder about the Bandstand music played as well and will that ever move on?

Indeed ,my parents are both 81 ,they were both 3 when the war ended,my Dad was in Ireland so remembers non of it and my mum only remembers having a Micky Mouse gas mask ,the war years were more their parents era all of whom have been dead for at least 20 years .

Me and my mates talk about this all the time. We’ve all been involved in some way in the dance music scene for >25 years, and either DJ or are married to or are friends with fairly high profile DJ’s

We hope our nursing home plays decent music. It’d be carnage tbh.. we’d all be leading the other residents astray - party party party party tends to be our motto in life.

tbh, though, I don’t think any of us will live that long 🤣

They never play any of that stuff at my dad’s care home. Last time I went round there they had an Elton John mix playing. They had an Elvis impersonator at their summer barbecue!

I hope I never end up in a factory farm home, but if I do have that misfortune, then they'd better be playing ABBA.

Daniel compliments "a nice cup of tea." This would be DH's worst nightmare 🤣.

My perfect nursing home would have a gaming room and a heavy metal lounge. Where the cool kids hang out.

I work in numerous care homes and they tend to have everything from Vera lynn to Radio 1 on with the residents having a mop. One I was in a while ago, a service of about 90 had a CD player, and was playing her fav band- the black eyed peas!

YANBU. People in their 70s/80s now were teens and young adults in the late 50s and 60s. They should be playing the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Elvis.

The care home that my father in law was in always played 50s and 60s music.
I'm surprised the old ladies weren't throwing their knickers around when Tom Jones came on.

My mum is in her mid 70s, has advanced dementia and is in a care home.
They play lots of different music and will play whatever the residents want.
At the moment it's general Christmas stuff but the Beatles, classic FM, hits from the 60's, ABBA are generally quite popular
Mum has Paul Simon, Andrew Lloyd Webber musicals, African music (she grew up in SA), Elaine Paige, The Beach boys, The Bee Gees, Elton John on her personal playlist - she has music on in her room constantly.

My DS works in a care home and although it's all Christmas now, the rest of the time it's a mix ranging from the 70s to current. No Linkin Park though, so I'm not going. (I'm 55).

Above is a link to my future, if you don't want to follow link search Foil Arm and Hog - Care home.

I reckon the Blue v Oasis wars will be epic in my care home.

Oh god, if they play Coldplay in my care home I'll be signing the DNAR and keeping my fingers crossed for a quick exit!

I heard something on Radio 4 about this earlier in the year. The argument was that today's care home folks are beginning to be baby boomers who listened to The Beatles and The Stones and that the care homes needed to change their music accordingly. Even my granny- aged 93- who is currently one of the older ones in her care home was only eight or so at the start of WW2 and therefore it's a bit old even for her.

I agree. The fact is the activities teams are often very young people who are a little out of step. Most older people of today will have been young in the late fifties and sixties. In dementia units its a little different as the ability to sing a long is one of the last skills to go, therefore very well known songs are often used to encourage everyone to join in. Some will even sing nursery rhymes!