MT-VOICE Valuing Older Individuals through Comprehensive Assessment © 2025 by Amy Clements-Cortés, Bill Ahessy, Samuel Gracida and Research Participants is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.

2026 MT-VOICE (Spanish, French & German (in pilot phase)

MT-VOICE (Unpublished, Paper under review)

Previous Version Music Therapy Assessment for Older Adults (MTAOA) published in Behavioural Sciences  https://doi.org/10.3390/bs14050354)

Assessment Index Terms

Interview, Observational, Electronic, Questionnaire

• Pilot Study: Creation of the Music Therapy Assessment for Older Adults (MTAOA) Published evidence that led to the MTAOA-R1
• Community-Engaged Research Study to test the MTAOA-RI and develop it for International Contexts, leading to the MT-VOICE which was co-created by music therapists, allied health care professionals and older adults 
• An accompanying manual for the MT-VOICE was developed
• Current and planned research concerns translation of the Assessment tool, validation of the Assessment Manual and piloting the assessment with older adults in Spanish, French, German and English
• MT-VOICE-can only be administered by a trained music therapist

Clements-Cortés, A. (2024). Music therapy assessment for older adults: Descriptive mixed-methods study. Behavioral Sciences, 14(5), Article 354; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs14050354

The MT-VOICE is a comprehensive music and person-centred assessment tool designed to support music therapists in evaluating and documenting the strengths, challenges, and evolving needs of older adults in diverse care settings. Grounded in literature, clinical expertise and lived experiences with a variety of key partners including older adults, music therapists, and allied health professionals, this tool provides a structured yet flexible framework for gathering meaningful data in the assessment of older adults.

The MT-VOICE assessment is for use with individuals and is structured into four key domains: cognitive, communication, psychosocial, and sensorimotor. Each section offers a systematic approach integrating music throughout to evaluate the person’s responses, abilities, challenges, interests, and potential for engagement within these areas. Together, these components create a holistic snapshot rather than a definitive picture of the person to guide an individualized person-centred music therapy programme. Following these sections is a narrative assessment summary area, a place to document the person’s experience and feedback on the assessment, a checklist for identifying initial goals, and a place to note risks or implications for music therapy and recommended services.

The assessment portion of the MT-VOICE is intended to be completed in its entirety when feasible to provide a comprehensive understanding of the person. It can be conducted in a single session or across multiple sessions with the individual and, where appropriate, their caregiver, ensuring a comfortable, person-centred experience. The number of sessions may vary based on the person’s needs, attention, fatigue, or engagement. In line with a person-centred approach, therapists may also select specific components for targeted, domain-focused assessment when a full administration is not required.