Music Therapy In Dementia Patients: Use Some Old Tunes In Support Of Better Brain Health!

I recently checked out a report on the Wall Street Journal website related to the use of music therapy in dementia patients. The article stated that one of the criticisms of music playback devices is that people who use them are inclined to shun relationships with other people and stay in an insulated world of their own. However, recent observations of stroke and Alzheimer's patients are disclosing that iPods and other MP3 players often have the contrary effect.

By listening to some old common songs, advanced dementia patients can relink with their memories and with each other in some unexpected ways, especially for folks with degenerative brain diseases. For instance, according to the Journal, listening to rap and reggae on a borrowed iPod every day helped a 28-year-old stroke victim to resume walking and use his hands again.

In another incident, a 52 year-old man who fell out of a fourth-floor construction site and suffered a crushed larynx became so beguiled with music that he has written 400 songs and made four albums. An 85-year-old Alzheimer's patient in Florida listens to her favorite opera and Yiddish songs each day on an iPod with a home health aide or her daughter when she comes to visit. According to her daughter they listen for about one-half hour a day and "It seems to touch something deep within her."

Caregivers have known for many years that music therapy in dementia patients can be extremely effective. They have observed for decades that Alzheimer's patients can still remember and sing tunes long after they have stopped knowing names and faces. Hospitals and nursing homes have been using music as recreation for a long time, since it brings patients pleasure. Moreover, beyond the entertainment value, there is significant evidence that listening to music can also help improve apparently lost memories, and even help restore cognitive function in some cases. (via IPod Therapy for Alzheimer's Patients, WSJ.com)

As a golden-ager myself I am a big fan of iPods and similar devices for senior citizens. I myself have an iPhone, which is basically an iPod with a phone built into it. I am aware that many of you will be skeptical because you think such devices are too complicated for seniors. However, as research as shown, using complicated devices can be quite useful in minimizing memory loss due to aging. Now we have determined that the musical features can be helpful even for those who have already suffered memory loss.

Well, okay, you might not want to actually leave an iPod in the hands of a person who is experiencing dementia, but such a device can certainly be used, under supervision, to provide the kinds of music therapy in dementia patients set out in this article. Technology can be highly beneficial for those who are willing to be creative and wise in applying its use. IPod music therapy in dementia patients is a perfect illustration.

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