Can shared music listening ease the strain of dementia care?

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion for patient: 1. Age 60 and older 2. Existing physician diagnosis of dementia or self-reported memory impairment and Telephone Montreal Cognitive Assessment (T-MoCA) score between 18-25 with a capacity to consent. We chose the T-MoCA because it is ideal for subjects with visual impairment in a remote setting. Shown to be detection at remote detection of cognitive impairment. 3. Care partner or PLWD reporting current or past (8-12 months) dissatisfaction with the relationship score (score of 3 or less on the relationship satisfaction measure) given a dissatisfaction for one member of the dyad will affect the other person. 4. Stable dose of psychotropic medications, sedatives/hypnotics, anti-dementia or opioids in the past 60 days prior to enrollment to minimize the confounding effects of medications. Exclusion for patient: 1. Hearing impairment (defined as inability to hear a normal speaking voice at distance of 1-1/2 feet) to exclude those who cannot hear the music intervention. 2. Planned transition to a residental or institutional care setting in less than 3 months (to decrease attrition). 3. Currently enrolled in an interventional clinical trial for PLWD aimed to improve relationship quality (to not confound the results) 4. Receiving hospice services. Inclusion for care partner: 1. Must reside with the patient. 2. At least 21 years of age. 3. Self-identify as the primary care partner 4. Able to speak and read English 5. If on psychotropic medications at the time of telephone screen must be on a stable dose of the medication for 60 days prior to enrollment. 6. Consider themselves a family member (blood or non-blood relative) Exclusion for care partner: 1. Do not reside with patient 2. Under the age of 21 years of age 3. Is not primary care partner 4. Not able to speak and read English 5. Has not been on a stable dose of psychotropic medications prior 60 to enrollment.