fbpx

Move & Groove with Senior-Friendly Music Therapy

Thursday, June 04, 2020

The power of music is something that can’t be replicated. We’ve all had moments when a beautiful piece of music has brought us to tears, or experienced a surge of memory when hearing a particular pop song from our past. Many of our most precious moments and memories are wrapped up in music, which makes it a powerful tool for seniors with Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia.

“Over the past decade, we have seen amazing things happen when music therapy is integrated into memory care,” says Chrissy Ross, Executive Director of Bridges® by EPOCH at Mashpee. “When cognitive disease progresses to a certain point, an individual may no longer be able to speak or communicate. However, when music therapy is introduced, we’ve seen these people clap their hands, dance and even sing along – it’s almost like magic.”

Neuroscience has recently begun finding just how music, memory and our abilities are tied to one another. The part of our brain that processes and stores music is generally not touched by diseases like Alzheimer’s – so even when mental abilities and memory are “gone,” the part of the brain that stores music can help override those gaps and create opportunities to reminisce, communicate and become fulfilled.

“At Bridges by EPOCH at Mashpee, we’ve seen and experienced such wonderful moments with our music therapy program ,” Chrissy says. “This program allows us to develop individualized music therapy options for our residents living with dementia like Alzheimer’s disease. Together with family members and friends, we create playlists on individual iPods or use our dementia-friendly iN2L technology to provide residents with songs that they loved and that have meaning. These familiar tunes unlock memories that haven’t been lost to the disease, bringing them to the front of their minds so residents and families can engage, experience and create meaningful moments – no matter where in the dementia journey the loved one is.”

 

The Effect of Music on the Brain

Music hath charms to soothe the savage beast, but it also affects us in three distinct ways: physically, mentally and emotionally.

 

Physical

Brains are amazing organs. Science is finding that even brains that have been damaged by trauma or cognitive diseases can continue to create new pathways in order to keep mental function occurring for as long as possible. This is called neuroplasticity – a phenomenon where the brains literally rewire their connections to bypass damaged or dead sections and create “shortcuts” to talents, abilities, communication and functions. And music has shown to be one of the best tools to help prompt neuroplasticity into action.

 

Mental & Emotional

Music doesn’t just physically “repair” the brain. It also helps boost mental state and brain health. A 2009 study found that music helps brains link memories to evoke happy feelings and meaningful moments, which then leads to better moods, lower risk of depression and a more fulfilled, happy mental state. This state of being releases various hormones and chemicals in our brain that provide stress relief and can reduce unwanted behaviors like anxiety, agitation, anger and other dementia-related symptoms.

 

How Music Therapy Helps Seniors Stay Healthy and Happy

Music therapy is something that’s integrated throughout daily life at Bridges® by EPOCH at Mashpee, says Chrissy. “We have two distinct types of therapies: passive and active,” she says. “Both of these types have specific benefits that can be used to reach different goals.”

Passive therapy is therapies where the music is, for lack of a better term, in the background. For example, care members may play familiar music when working with an individual resident in order to help them feel calmer or safer. This can also help pull memoires from their past, which provides opportunities to share, reminisce and bond. Passive therapy also involves simply listening to music. All the individual has to do is listen.

Active therapy is, by definition, active. This describes therapies where the individual participates in creating music of their own. This can be as basic as singing along or clapping as a song plays, or it can be as involved as actually playing a musical instrument, dancing or otherwise using the body to create music. This is an excellent form of therapy because it truly involves all senses and a myriad of different abilities. It helps boost physical activity, improves mood and emotional states, lowers stress, provides bonding opportunities … the benefits are practically endless.

“Science has shown that activities that use multiple senses at once are some of the best when it comes to helping improve mood and maintaining the highest possible mental function,” says Chrissy. “Music therapy stimulates so many parts of the brain, making it a wonderful tool that’s not just beneficial – it’s also incredibly fun, too.”

 

Connecting with Eversound®

One of the newest and most exciting developments at Bridges® by EPOCH communities is the adoption of Eversound®, a wireless headphone system designed specifically to help provide therapies to senior living residents. This amazing technology is used in music therapy offerings in order to promote well-being, but also goes beyond that to eliminate frustrating background buzz, stream interactive programming and provide communication opportunities for care teams, residents and more.

 

Peace of Mind for Cape Cod Seniors and Their Families

Bridges® by EPOCH at Mashpee provides memory care assisted living that is comfortable, positive, safe and engaging. Exclusively dedicated to caring for those with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia, our community creates a wellness-focused lifestyle that promotes dignity, respects individual preferences and makes a truly positive impact on the lives of our residents each and every day.

 

Dedicated Memory Care

Bridges® by EPOCH at Mashpee offers compassionate dementia care and unique programs that are tailored to meet the physical, cognitive and emotional needs of each resident – throughout every stage of disease progression. Residents can age in place comfortably and with dignity, while families gain peace of mind.

 

Supportive, Engaging Services

At Bridges® by EPOCH at Mashpee, we offer a program of care and services that celebrates life and supports individual strengths. Our compassionate and engaging approach adapts to the unique challenges and individuality of each resident. Our memory care professionals receive specialized and ongoing training designed to help residents maximize their independence in a secure, calm environment.

 

Contact us today to learn more.

Learn More About Bridges®

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Loading...