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Not-for-profit aged care provider Whiddon is expanding its partnership with purpose-led health technology company Resparke to roll out the personalised music and memory platform across all 24 residential aged care homes.
The music and memory platform is accessed through OneHub, a purpose-built device that provides staff with simple and intuitive access to personalised music, memories and digital experiences to help residents reconnect with meaningful memories.
Each of the tailored playlists, videos and interactive content options reflect the resident’s life story, cultural background and personal preferences and support emotional recognition and connection.
The provider-wide rollout follows a successful pilot, with insights showing:
- residents experienced improved signs of pleasure (81 per cent)
- fewer signs of anger (71 per cent)
- reduced anxiety and fear (76 per cent)
- maintained or improved alertness (81 per cent)
- less sadness (38 per cent), a proportion of whom had been assessed as having the lowest possible baseline score for sadness at the pilot commencement.
But Whiddon deputy chief executive officer Alyson Jarrett said the most powerful impact has been in the way Resparke has helped residents unlock recognition and connection through familiar sound and story.
“We are seeing music and personalised content reach people in ways that words sometimes cannot,” Ms Jarrett said.
“The data echoes what our teams have been observing in practice. When residents are supported with content that reflects who they are, where they come from, and what they love, we see real changes in mood, engagement and connection. These are small moments, but they matter deeply.”
Whiddon staff collaborated with Resparke to refine the platform and the OneHub experience during the pilot, ensuring staff were properly trained. Ms Jarrett said this co-designed approach was critical to moving from pilot to scale.
“From the outset, our focus was on ensuring this could work in real care environments. It needed to be simple, practical and meaningful for staff to use, so that it could be embedded into everyday moments of care rather than sitting as a separate tool,” she said.
The pilot program also highlighted the importance of simplicity when adopting new technology and initiatives across care environments.
Resparke founder and executive director Alison Harrington said the partnership is demonstrative of how technology and care can work together to improve quality of life for older Australians.
“Critical to innovation in aged care is deep collaboration with the people using the solution. Whiddon has been with us throughout the OneHub innovation journey, becoming the first provider to roll it out network-wide, embed Resparke across their teams and work with us to develop new ideas. It has been wonderful to see the joy and impact created across Whiddon, and it feels like we are only getting started,” Ms Harrington said.
“This is a true partnership, built on a shared commitment to improving the lives of older people.”
The rollout is also supported by Whiddon’s internal Sing It Loud karaoke initiative – a month-long celebration of music and participation designed to bring residents and staff together through shared expression and engagement.
Whiddon is also trialling Resparke’s prototype cognitive stimulation activity module.
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