Unique singing project improving residents’ lung health at Woodland Grove Care Home

Singing sessions designed to improve lung health are having a transformative effect for residents at Woodland Grove care home. For former jazz singer and resident, Susan Sansby, 76, they’re restoring some of the vocal ability she’s lost due to ill health.

“It feels great that I’m getting my voice back!” she said.  “That was the main thing I wanted to get out of these sessions – they are the highlight of my week!”

The ‘Singing for Lung Health’ programme started in January with professional musician and trained Singing for Breathing instructor, Edmund Jeffery, holding one-to-one sessions with residents in their rooms.  He introduced group sessions two months later as he knew the additional benefits they would bring.

“There are many residents in the home living with lung conditions like COPD – chronic obstructive pulmonary disease – which limits their breathing ability.  While we can’t improve their lung capacity, we can make the best of what they have by teaching them how to breathe, and singing’s a great way to do it.

“We’ve already seen significant improvements in the length of phrases residents can sing and they’ve become much confident.  At first they were quite shy to make the noises and movements we do in the vocal exercises, but they’re so much more forthcoming now, so it’s impacting on their overall sense of wellbeing.”

Edmund trained under Asthma Lung UK and has 10 years’ experience.  His approach is to make the sessions fun and accessible, as well as giving participants songs that challenge them.

“If this programme was described as a respiratory health clinic, I doubt if as many people would come,” he said, “but who doesn’t like to sing?  We sing native American folk songs, and ones from Africa, and everyone loves these, but we also do some familiar favourites.  The important factor is the length of phrases, so residents have to manage their breathing to sing them.  We’re working on changing bad habits, which we all have to some extent, to get rid of tension in their shoulders, improve their posture and to use their muscles more efficiently.”

Mary Porter, 81, has enjoyed singing all of her life and has attended every one of Edmund’s sessions.

“I sing in a choir in the community and I’d noticed that I often struggle with breathing when I’m singing.  I find it difficult to reach the end of a phrase and I frequently need to take a quick breath in the middle.  He’s addressing breath control for me, and I’m looking forward to when my choir sessions start up again and I can see the progress I’ve made.”

Woodland Grove is a purpose-built care home which provides residential, nursing, memory and respite care for 72 residents.  Up to 10 residents attend the group in which Mary is an enthusiastic member, as is Susan.

“I had a singing career for 20+years, which really took off when I began working in a care home,” Susan said.  “I was an administrator, but I would sing to the residents.  Then people asked me to sing in hospices and to elderly people.  I went on to run singing sessions for people with dementia and those with mental health problems, as well as singing with my band.  We performed in pubs, at weddings and I loved it.  I’ve sung at Ronnie Scotts’ in central London and with the jazz legend, George Melly.

“When I became ill, I contracted pneumonia which damaged my lungs.  I thought my singing days were over but since coming here, Edmund has been working with me and my voice has started to come back. His sessions are not like my Italian style singing training – sometimes he asks me to make the sound of a lonely puppy – but it seems to work!

“I’m ever so pleased.  I can see the day when I can stand up and sing a song again.”

Michela Volpe is the Lifestyles Manager at Woodland Grove. She said the singing has been such a benefit to people’s wellbeing that they’re now considering offering it to more residents.

“Edmund’s sessions give everyone a lot of enjoyment and the results that we’re seeing have made us want to explore how residents with other conditions such as Parkinson’s could benefit from them.  This condition can impact on the strength of someone’s voice, and the singing would help them make more efficient use of what they have.  We are also considering sessions that members of the wider community can take part in.”

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