There is a lot of research demonstrating the benefits of music in the lives of people with Alzheimer's and dementia. Music that resonates with a person, seems to connect us with the deepest part of ourselves, the soul. There is no need to talk and struggle with words, there is just that part that connects with the music bringing joy and peace.
My mother in law, Jessie, loved Scottish music and old tunes. When her dementia had reached a point that she had difficulty expressing herself, she was able to sing the lyrics to all her favorite songs. When words were failing, music remained. These times were often the happiest and where she was the most joyful.
There is however, another side to music and times when music can become toxic for the person with Alzheimer's or dementia. Too much of a good thing, or a good thing used in the wrong way, or the wrong time, is no longer a good thing. I have to admit, that the misguided use of music in many of the homes and facilities that I visited, was a real concern for me. Have you ever been stuck somewhere where loud music is being played and it is the genre of music you really don't like, or it's too loud, or you're having difficult concentrating because of the music? How did that make you feel? In these situations it is not uncommon to feel anxious, nervous, unsettled or angry.
Person's with Alzheimer's or dementia have difficulty processing things when too much is going on in the environment. Add background, continuous and purposeless music to the equation and you have a recipe for disaster. When music is just playing continually in the background it becomes noise rather than music. Making matters worse is when the staff pick the music based on their preferences. There are a lot of things we can't change about environments where people with Alzheimer's live, but this is a small change that would make a huge difference!!
I want to put a challenge out there: Let's create environments that integrate music to enhance quality of life and not detract from it. What have been your experiences with music? The following video is a beautiful example of the positive power or music when used to connect with the soul:
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