At Knight Classical, we care.  It is important to us to use our platform to fight for a better world.

Each year, we pledge to raise money for worthy charities and causes, with the support of our colleagues, our clients, our families, and our friends.

Throughout 2024, Knight Classical is raising money for The Alzheimer’s Society: a UK-based charity providing vital support and funding life-changing research to give help and hope to people living with dementia and their loved ones.

Music can be a powerful tool in the context of dementia prevention and dementia care, and the fight against Alzheimer’s Disease is one of personal importance to members of the Knight Classical team.

As a company, we are proud to support the fight against the devastation caused by dementia today, and help fund research into finding a cure for dementia tomorrow.

One in three born in the UK today will develop dementia. 

Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease has been the leading cause of death in Britain for the last 10 years.  It is the greatest health concern facing the UK.

Your donation will fund vital support and life-changing research to give help and hope to someone living with dementia and their loved ones.

HOW YOUR DONATION HELPS

Donate £12

Pay for a companion call to someone who is feeling alone and isolated.  A friendly chat can be a real lifeline.

Donate £30

Pay for two hours of expert guidance from a Dementia Adviser, providing much needed support to those with a dementia diagnosis and their loved ones.

Donate £50

Pay for a half day of research by a PhD student, funding the breakthroughs of tomorrow.

£600 supports a Research Network Volunteer for one year.

With lived experience of the devastation caused by dementia, these trained volunteers read every research application that comes to The Alzheimer’s Society for funding, to ensure that research stays relevant, impactful, and life-changing for people affected by dementia.

£1,000 brings 1,000 people living with dementia together with their local services through The Alzheimer’s Society’s online Dementia Directory.

£7,125 can provide an entire community with a Side-by-Side site for three months.

These sites support people with dementia and their families in local communities across the UK, making that crucial difference in breaking down isolation and loneliness.

£12,500 could help trained Dementia Helpline Advisors provide information, support, and guidance for nearly 1,000 concerned individuals.

£45,000 can help a research student kickstart their career for 18 months.

Donations of this size enable The Alzheimer’s Society to recruit and train outstanding PhD students from the very start of their careers to become the dementia research leaders of tomorrow.

£150,000 could pay for 10,000 people living with dementia to enjoy a Singing for the Brain session: using singing to enhance communication, confidence, and well-being.

£600,000 could fund three research projects for three years, to give us a better understanding of the underlying causes of dementia in the hope of developing a cure for the future.

£1,000,000 would provide 32,500 hours of one-to-one support from a Dementia Support Workers – experienced professionals who are a lifeline for people with dementia and their families, meaning they do not have to face dementia alone.

MUSIC & DEMENTIA: HARDWIRED MEMORY

Enjoying and listening to music is a universal experience, and one that everyone can access for little or no cost.

Music not only reflects and directs our mood, but it is also strongly linked to memories from our past.  Music is a form of implicit memory: hardwired into the brain, and different from the kind of the day-to-day memories that can be affected in dementia.

Studies show that listening to music lights up different parts of the brain, rekindling connections that might otherwise be lost.  There are powerful examples of where music has changed lives, with countless stories of individuals who were withdrawn and apathetic having been brought back to life by listening to their favourite music.

Music is uniquely able to reach us, even when language cannot.

THE POWER OF MUSIC

In the context of dementia, the universal ability to enjoy music provides a very powerful tool: enhancing the quality of life of people with dementia, and providing many benefits in the setting of dementia care.

Music can:

Help reduce anxiety, depression, agitation, and aggression;

Help maintain speech and language;

Enhance overall quality of life;

Provide a peaceful setting at the end of life; and

Have a positive impact on the mental health of carers.

DEMENTIA PREVENTION

Learning to play a musical instrument later in life hones cognitive and fine motor skills, and is thought to play a role in the prevention of Alzheimer’s dementia.  In fact: people who learn to play a musical instrument later in life are found to be a third less likely to develop dementia.

ACCESS TO MUSIC

In care homes, it is estimated that 80% of people have dementia or very significant memory problems but only 5% have access to art and music.  The Alzheimer’s Society is working hard to change this.

The Alzheimer’s Society: Singing for the Brain
In recognition of the clear power of music to help people suffering with dementia and their carers, the Alzheimer’s Society has pioneered a powerful national initiative called Singing for the Brain: learn more here.

Singing for the Brain groups bring those who are affected by dementia together to sing music that they know and love in a fun and friendly environment.  They also incorporate vocal exercises that are proven to help improve brain activity and wellbeing.

Singing for the Brain groups can be a lifeline of support from skilled, compassionate, and experienced staff, as well as a way in which to connect with other people who are going through the painful journey of dementia/caring for someone with dementia.  100% of people who attend Singing for the Brain sessions say that the groups have improved their life in some way.

Dementia is a life-limiting condition that is much more than simply forgetting where you put your keys.

It is categorised as having seven stages, which are grouped into three categories: early, middle, and later-stage dementia.

Trigger warning: here we outline typical symptoms of each stage of dementia.  This might be upsetting for some readers, so caution is advised.

EARLY-STAGE DEMENTIA

Each person experiences dementia in their own individual way, but common early signs and symptoms include:

Memory and cognition

A person can have difficulty recalling things that happened recently, difficulty concentrating, planning, and organising, struggling to make decisions, solve problems, or follow a series of simple steps (such as making a cup of tea).

Speech and language

This area can include difficulties following a conversation, or finding the right word for something.

Misunderstanding of what is being seen

For instance, problems judging distances (such as on stairs) or perceiving the edges of objects (increasing the risk of injury or falls), and misinterpreting patterns and reflections.

Confusion about time and place

For example, losing track of the date, struggling to tell the time, or being confused about where they are.

Mood changes or difficulty controlling emotions

For example, becoming unusually anxious, irritable, sad or frightened, losing interest in things, and personality changes.

Changes in perception

The person may have difficulty knowing what is real and what is not.  They may see or hear things that are not really there (hallucinations), or strongly believe things that are not true (delusions).

MIDDLE-STAGE DEMENTIA

In the middle stage of dementia, symptoms become more noticeable and the person will need more support in managing daily life.  The person may need frequent reminders, and some need help to wash and dress.  At this stage, some people with dementia benefit from a paid carer coming to their home, or may need moving into assisted living or a care/nursing home.

The middle stage of dementia is when symptoms will get worse.  This is also where changes in behaviour generally start.  This stage of dementia is often the longest, on average lasting 2-4 years.  During this time, symptoms are likely to develop in the following ways:

Memory and cognition

Existing problems will worsen.  Many people find it harder to recognise family and close friends, instead confusing them with strangers.  Remembering information gets harder.

Speech and language

Existing difficulties are likely to worsen.  The person may have problems finding the right word, and may forget what they are saying mid-sentence.  It may get harder for them to follow what someone else is saying.

Problems with orientation

These also typically become more severe.  Someone may get confused about the time of day – for example getting up and dressed in the middle of the night.  Or they might get confused about where they are, even at home.

Mood changes

Symptoms of apathy, depression, and anxiety tend to continue and worsen.

Hallucinations, delusions, and paranoia

Many people start to strongly believe things are not true.  They often feel other people are going to harm them, or cannot be trusted (paranoia).  They also may start to see and hear things that are not there (hallucinations).  Changes like this partly explain why the person can struggle to control their emotions – often getting very easily upset, fearful, or angry, and switching between these quite quickly.  They might be reacting to a loss of independence, misinterpreting things around them, or frustrated that they cannot communicate their needs.

Behavioural changes

These can typically include agitation and restlessness; screaming and shouting; repetitive behaviour; following a carer around, or constantly checking they are near; disturbed sleep patterns; loss of inhibitions; difficulty using the toilet; slower and less steady pattern of walking, leading to a higher risk of falls.

LATER-STAGE DEMENTIA

By the later stage of dementia, the condition will have a severe impact on most aspects of a person’s life.  They will eventually need full-time care and support with daily living and personal care, such as eating, washing, and dressing.  This support is most often given in a care home setting.

Symptoms of all kinds are likely to cause the person significant difficulties at this stage, but altered perception and physical problems are often the most noticeable.  By the later stages of dementia, a person is often very frail with a weakened immune response, likely to be spending a lot of time in bed and possibly having problems swallowing.  This increases the likelihood of them developing other medical problems that can lead to death, such as infections (like pneumonia) or cardiovascular problems (like blood clots in the brain and lungs).  This is why the later stage of dementia is often the shortest.

In this, the most advanced stage of dementia, the following symptoms can be seen:

Memory problems

Many people with later stage dementia will struggle with their memory of recent events.  They may often think they are at an earlier period of their lives (known as ‘time shifting’), causing challenging situations such as requesting to see someone who is no longer alive, and experiencing distress as not being able to see them.  At this stage, the person may also stop recognising familiar places, objects, and people.  They may not recognise themselves in a mirror, and might lose the ability to recognise a close friend or family member – which might happen because they only remember how a person looked when they were much younger.

Speech and language

In some cases, a person may only understand the language of their childhood.  A person’s spoken language may eventually be reduced to only a few words, or lost altogether.  They may also understand fewer words.

Changes in mood, emotions, and perceptions

Delusions and hallucinations (especially of sight and hearing) are more common and worsen.

Music and the senses

People with later stage dementia often respond more to senses than to words.  They may like listening to songs, or enjoy textures such as the feel of different types of material.

Behavioural changes

Aggression in the later stage of dementia is often a reaction to personal care.  Someone may hit or push away those trying to help, or shout out to be left alone.  The person may feel scared, threatened, or confused.  Restlessness is also very common – sometimes the person may be searching for someone or something from another time or place.

Physical difficulties

Worsening difficulties can include walking more slowly,with a shuffle and being generally less steady, eventually spending more time in a chair or in bed; being at increased risk of falls; needing a lot of help with eating, so often losing weight rapidly; having difficulty swallowing; suffering incontinence.  The reduction in a person’s mobility, in particular, raises the risk of blood clots and infections.

Good support can make a huge difference to the person’s quality of life at all stages of dementia.