Music has the power to transport us to another place and time, and it conjures up memories and emotions that can make us feel relaxed and calm. Music therapy has been used for some time to help people deal with certain emotions, reduce stress or convey feelings and thoughts. The music we enjoyed in our past can also evoke memories from long ago, bringing up moments and events that were significant to our younger selves. While these benefits of music are good for everyone, they are especially beneficial for individuals living with Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia.
“Music therapy is a significant part of our programming at our memory care assisted living community,” says Barbara Harrison, Executive Director of Bridges® by EPOCH at Westwood, a Memory Care Assisted Living community in Westwood, MA. “It’s really inspiring to see how our residents act when music from the ‘good old days’ gets played. They start clapping, their eyes light up, their toes start tapping and some residents even dance or sing. Sometimes, residents who no longer speak become animated, and those who have forgotten events from the past suddenly can remember. Music can be like magic – creating a bridge between the past and present that allows those with memory loss to reconnect to the world around them.”
Research has shown that musical memories are stored in a part of our brain that is relatively undamaged by cognitive diseases. Think about your own experience: you may have forgotten the names of the kids you were with in grade school, but you more than likely can sing a television jingle that you watched during Saturday morning cartoons. This is why, Barbara says, so many individuals with dementia can sing along with a song even in the later stages of the disease.
Music also provides a variety of benefits for overall wellness, since it appeals to all the body’s senses. Here are some of the ways music therapy can be beneficial to those with dementia (and everyone else):
- Improves mood. Listening to music greatly affects our emotions. That’s because certain hormones are produced in the brain when listening to music, which can help people feel happier or more relaxed, as well as reducing depression and anxiety. Music also can provide a distraction and produce a more positive mental state. It can channel the brain to feel happy or relaxed.
- Encourages movement. Music evokes a physical response in our body (just think about the times you’ve found yourself tapping your toes during a song). In music therapy, individuals with dementia engage motor skills to fully experience the music being played.
- Boosts communication. Playing different types of music can help communicate different feelings and encourage interaction. As mentioned before, listening to music can sometimes also boost an individual’s abilities, allowing them to communicate in ways they haven’t been able to in a while.
- Improves memory for a short while. Memory loss is, of course, one of the hallmarks of dementia and other cognitive diseases. However, because music can reach an undamaged “storage area” in the brain, it can surface old memories and sometimes form links to others. Although these changes aren’t permanent, they can provide a great amount of joy and fulfillment during the therapy.
Using Music to Engage Your Loved One with Dementia
Playing music for your loved one is incredibly therapeutic on a physical, emotional and mental level. You can use it as a dedicated therapy, or you can incorporate it into other parts of your routine, such as while exercising, eating meals, bathing or leisure activities. Here are a few things to consider as you’re looking at putting together music therapy for your loved one.
Think about your loved one’s past and preferences. What sort of music did your loved one enjoy listening to back in the day? What music might bring up happy memories for them? It’s always a good idea to choose music or songs that evoke positive times during their life. It’s fairly easy to look online and find what songs were popular during their younger years. You also want to take into account if your loved one had a favorite singer, artist, musical or genre.
Choose different music styles to set different moods. Different songs and styles can help evoke different memories. For example, if you want to provide a soothing mood, play something that’s more ballad-like or quiet, with soft lyrics and relaxing scores. When you want to boost moods or try and encourage movement, use faster-paced or upbeat songs.
Avoid overstimulation as much as possible. While playing music during activities and other daily events can be beneficial, it’s important to make sure that you don’t have too much going around you or in the background. When you’re playing music, do as much as you can to eliminate other, competing noises. For example, turn off the radio or TV. Shut the door so that if someone is in the other room, their talking or noise won’t be distracting. Be sure to set the volume of the music to an appropriate level for your loved one’s hearing abilities.
Get into the music yourself. Encouraging movement can boost happiness and also be a good form of exercise for your loved one. Clap along with the music and, if your loved one is available, consider dancing with them. Showing that you’re having a good time and getting into the music can encourage your loved one to do the same thing.
Sing along. Singing with the music, especially if your loved one sings with you, can help enhance your relationship. The emotions that are produced during music and its mood-enhancing abilities transform the activity into something meaningful and memorable. This is particularly meaningful if your family is musical and you remember singing certain songs together with your loved one.
Pay attention to verbal and nonverbal responses. Watch your loved one as you play music. If he or she really enjoys particular songs or genres, make a note and play them more often. On the other hand, if certain songs appear to bother them or make them react negatively, be sure to avoid playing songs like those in the future.
Bringing the joy of music back into your loved one’s life can help increase their happiness, build bonds and be a meaningful activity that you can participate in, no matter what stage of the disease he or she is in. It won’t just benefit your loved one; it will benefit you as well and provide happiness and meaning that you can carry long after the activity is complete.
Exceptional Care & Fulfilling Lifestyle
Bridges® by EPOCH at Westwood 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 offers a wellness-focused lifestyle that promotes dignity and individual preferences. Our memory care professionals receive specialized and ongoing training designed to help residents maximize their independence in a secure, calm environment – enriching the lives of our residents every day.
Inspiring Programs for All Stages
No matter what level of care or service is needed, residents and families can rest assured that our care and life-enrichment programs address the various stages of memory decline, allowing residents the opportunity to age in place.
Dedicated Memory Care
At Bridges® by EPOCH at Westwood, our services are designed to recognize and adapt to the unique challenges and individuality of each resident, while ensuring comfort and safety. We believe in a full-service approach to care and provide a high level of personalized attention for residents in various stages of memory loss.
Bridges® by EPOCH is New England’s largest stand-alone memory care assisted living provider.
Contact us today to learn more.