Whiddon and Resparke Expand Personalised Music and Memory Platform Across 24 Residential Aged Care Homes
Whiddon's expansion of the Resparke platform is helping residents experience greater connection, emotional wellbeing and engagement through tailored music, memories, and meaningful content.
28 July 2026
Leading not-for-profit aged care provider Whiddon is expanding its partnership with Australian health technology company Resparke, rolling out the personalised music and memory platform across all 24 residential aged care homes following a successful pilot that demonstrated measurable improvements in resident emotional wellbeing, engagement and connection.
Developed by Resparke to support person-centred care, the platform is accessed through OneHub, a purpose-built device that gives staff simple and intuitive access to personalised music, memories and digital experiences to help residents reconnect with meaningful moments in their lives. Tailored playlists, videos and interactive content reflect each resident's life story, cultural background and personal preferences, supporting emotional recognition and connection, particularly for people living with dementia or cognitive impairment.
The rollout follows a pilot phase across selected Whiddon homes, where staff have observed meaningful changes in resident engagement, mood and connection. Early insights show residents responding with increased signs of joy and recognition, reduced distress and anxiety, and greater participation in everyday activities.
Results indicated that 81 per cent of residents experienced improved signs of pleasure, while 71 per cent showed a reduction in signs of anger and 76 per cent experienced reduced anxiety and fear. A further 38 per cent demonstrated improvements in sadness, noting that a proportion of residents were assessed as having the lowest possible baseline score for sadness at commencement of the pilot.
Across the pilot cohort, alertness was improved or maintained in 81 per cent of cases, reinforcing Resparke’s role in supporting both emotional regulation and sustained engagement.
Whiddon Deputy CEO, Alyson Jarrett, said the most powerful impact has been seen in the way Resparke helps unlock recognition and connection through familiar sound and story.
“We are seeing music and personalised content reach people in ways that words sometimes cannot.”
She continues, “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”
Alison Harrington, Founder & Executive Director of Resparke, said the partnership demonstrates 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.”
“This is a true partnership, built on a shared commitment to improving the lives of older people.”
The pilot program also highlighted the importance of simplicity in supporting adoption across care environments. Throughout the pilot, Whiddon and Resparke worked in partnership to refine the platform, the OneHub device experience and staff training, ensuring the technology could be seamlessly integrated into daily care practice and scaled across multiple residential aged care homes.
Jarett said this co-designed approach has been 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.”
Following the success of the pilot phase, Whiddon and Resparke are now being implemented across all 24 Whiddon homes, under the leadership of Vicky Coumbe (Manager, Wellbeing, Lifestyle & Relationship-Based Care) who has coordinated staff training, system enhancements and ongoing collaboration between Resparke, care and lifestyle teams.
While quantitative outcomes demonstrate clear improvements in emotional wellbeing, Whiddon says the most powerful impact continues to be seen in individual resident experiences, moments where music and memory support comfort, recognition and connection between residents, families and staff.
In some cases, personalised playlists and video content have supported residents living with severe cognitive impairments during periods of distress or personal care, helping to reduce anxiety and improve cooperation. In others, Resparke has been used in end-of-life care to support families in sharing memories and reflecting on meaningful life experiences.
“These are very human moments,” Jarrett said. “Sometimes it’s about joy and laughter, and other times it’s about comfort and dignity. Both are equally important.”
The rollout is also being supported by Whiddon’s internal “Sing it Loud!” Karaoke initiative, a month-long celebration of music and participation across homes designed to bring residents and staff together through shared expression and engagement.
Whiddon says the combination of Resparke and its broader wellbeing initiatives reflects its ongoing commitment to advancing person-centred aged care, where emotional wellbeing, identity and connection are central to quality of life.
“At Whiddon, we know that care is not only about support, but also about recognition, connection and belonging. Resparke helps us bring that to life in a very real and personal way.”
The rollout across Whiddon’s 24 homes will continue throughout 2026, with Whiddon and Resparke continuing to explore new innovations in personalised care. This includes a current trial of Resparke’s prototype cognitive stimulation activity module, where Whiddon is providing feedback and gathering insights on resident engagement and impact following its showcase at the International Dementia Conference.
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About Whiddon
Whiddon is an award-winning care provider that aims to inspire every day across its 24 residential aged care homes, community care and NDIS services throughout NSW and Southeast Queensland.
For more than 75 years, Whiddon has provided care and support to older Australians and people living with disability across regional, rural and remote communities.
Whiddon proudly partners with academics and universities to remain at the forefront of innovation, leading new thinking, programs and training around quality of life and ageing.
About Resparke
Resparke is an Australian purpose-led technology company transforming engagement and wellbeing in aged care. Its innovative platform brings together music, video, photos, games, and personalised life-story content to help care teams create meaningful moments for older people, including those living with dementia.
Resparke supports hundreds of aged care homes across Australia and has won numerous awards for innovation in technology and dementia care.
