Fifers are being asked to donate unwanted music players to transform the lives of hospital patients.
With new iPods and MP3 players making popular Christmas presents, people are being encouraged to put their old gadgets to good use.
It follows a pilot project at Fife hospitals which demonstrated that listening to music can significantly improve quality of life for people with dementia.
Alzheimer Scotland dementia nurse consultant Helen Skinner now hopes the scheme could be rolled out for the benefit of people with a range of conditions including cancer.
And she has urged those receiving new music players to donate their old ones, so hospital patients can benefit from listening to their favourite tunes.
“A lot of people will be updating their gadgets, especially after Christmas when people get new gadgets as presents,” she said.
Unwanted music players can be handed in to the main reception desks at Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy and Queen Margaret Hospital in Dunfermline, or at Fife Dementia Resource Centre, Alzheimer Scotland, 2-14 Whytescauseway, Kirkcaldy.
Anna Paisley, a PhD research student at Glasgow Caledonian University, worked with patients at Queen Margaret.
Ms Paisley was carrying out research for Playlist for Life, a charity launched by broadcaster Sally Magnusson, who discovered the beneficial effects of music for dementia patients while her mother struggled with the illness.
A patient at Queen Margaret who had vascular dementia and oesophageal cancer, known as “John”, was played music through headphones in 30 minute bursts.
Ms Skinner said: “People with dementia who come to an acute care environment can find this very unsettling and disorientating.
“John was unable to communicate with the staff. It was affecting other patients.
“Twenty four pieces of music were identified from across John’s life, from when he was a young man to current music.
“Although he had difficulty communicating, he was able to sing along to the words.
“Staff and family reported that he was less agitated and his mood improved. They felt it improved his wellbeing.”
John passed away while on the ward, but was still able to sing along to music in the final days of his life.
Occupational therapist Mary Baird said while one patient found listening to music unhelpful, the results were in the main positive.
She added: “Some patients didn’t tolerate headphones very well so they had little speakers.
“One benefit is the bay could listen to the music.
“There were discussions among the patients, which is very unusual because often they can become isolated in their own little world.”