Group Telehealth Music Therapy With Caregivers: A Qualitative Inquiry

Informal caregivers of older adults are faced with increased responsibilities as health and social systems fail to respond to the rising demands associated with the aging populations. For many caregivers, the COVID-19 pandemic has severely impacted their access to already sparse supportive resources, highlighting the importance of varying service delivery methods to meet caregivers’ needs. This qualitative study explored the experiences of informal caregivers of older adults who took part in group telehealth music therapy. Semi-structured interviews with 5 women caregivers were conducted. Through a thematic analysis process, the following themes were identified: (a) affordances of group telehealth music therapy, (b) challenges of group telehealth music therapy, and (c) music as a health resource. Telehealth considerations, clinical implications, as well as ways to support caregiver agency are discussed.