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Music & Memory - 4/7/2012 8:40:38 AM

MasterG2kTR

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Music & Memory

Here is a therapy movement primarily for the elderly. I can only hope that this gains momentum and wide spread acceptance through out the nation (and the world), so that if I ever find myself in a nursing home in the future, I will be given the same treatment.

quote:

The Science of Individualized Music
Whether you or a loved one is facing a challenging health condition or is relatively healthy, living at home, or in a care facility, scientific insights confirm what we know intuitively: that music, when properly applied, offers specific therapeutic benefits.

It's long been known that music can be an amazing medicine on many levels. This is something that can easily be tailored to the individual by simply applying the music they once enjoyed when they were more coherent.

In the link above there are many testimonial videos through out the site. In particular watch the video (on the home page) about Gil and Denise.

Enjoy....

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RE: Music & Memory - 4/7/2012 10:55:00 AM

lizi

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Thank you so much for this thread. I am in school for a therapeutic profession, we had to volunteer our time in some fashion for a school project- I went to a nursing home. The floor I worked on was for the people at the end of the road, severe dementia/Alzheimers, wheelchair or bedridden, little or no mental cognition. I know, it seems like the whole nursing home would be composed of this type of patient but there are levels even there and I worked with the people that were waiting to die basically. One day when it was nice outside, the therapist and I took our group of clients out to the patio to play trivia. When she got to the questions about music that group of women who were previously drooling and falling asleep woke up and became fresh, alert, and engaged in their surroundings. I could hardly believe my eyes. I was so amazed that I resolved right then if I ever had the time I wanted to research this particular aspect of music and memory and its possible implications in therapy. Here you are, giving me a huge start...thank you MGT.

I saw this video you posted here happen in real life, it was astounding. Those patients who previously didn't remember much of anything and weren't all that concerned with their surroundings suddenly came to life and lit up the room. It was a profound moment. As we went back in, many of them were humming and tapping their armrests. In the previous weeks I hadn't seen some of them even choose to talk. One woman who was perennially surly and aggressive to anyone was cheerful and dare I say, cute. All because we talked about music. The questions in the game asked about composers, singers, lines from songs of that time, titles, tv shows that had music like Lawrence Welk and Liberace, etc.

If anyone here has an older loved one and hasn't explored music as a way to wake them up and engage them in life again as well as sharpening their current conversation skills, please please please try it. Bring in an iPod or CD player with their favorite songs. Ask questions, make up your own trivia game by researching the internet and just typing up questions you'll be shocked, I guarantee it. That quiet passive man or woman will wake up right before your eyes. I can't stress enough how amazing it was for me to experience. Hope this will help someone

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RE: Music & Memory - 4/7/2012 11:31:40 AM

MistressDarkArt

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Thanks for posting MasterG2. I do music therapy for senior and dementia folks and I can attest to the power of music. I've had patients who were unable to speak for months at a time remember how to sing. I've had agitated patients who could not be calmed any other way start to sing, smile, and laugh until they forgot about whatever it was that upset them.

When my Alzheimer mom lay dying in a coma, I know she suffered but she simply would not let go. She hadn't been able to understand spoken language for a long time. On the long drive to her bedside I wrote a song wishing her a good goodbye. I held her hands as I sang it to her, tears splashing down over both of us, and she passed peacefully a few hours later. It was comforting to know she probably understood very well from my song how much I loved her and that it was OK to go.

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RE: Music & Memory - 4/8/2012 12:14:37 AM

kitkat105

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Music therapy is pretty amazing. We had an intern who's wife is a musical therapist and she specialises in working with the elderly as well as babies/children with disabilities and it just sounded like such an fulfilling job.

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RE: Music & Memory - 4/10/2012 9:46:43 AM

needlesandpins

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we've been using music therapy in the uk for years with dementia patients.

however, it is beneficial in many areas because it sooths or gets the body going depending on what you play.

good stuff.

needles

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RE: Music & Memory - 4/10/2012 9:58:20 AM

Lockit

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There comes a time when people start giving up. What keeps us going in life seems to be life in general, our work, our families, our goals. When you can no longer do all you have done, it has a profound effect of the negative most often. Keeping what has kept us going, interested us, fed us... is major to the emotional and mental well being. I know this from my own experiences with my own health issues as well as working with others. My family thought I had some magic when dealing with my mother and grandmother. It was simply that I knew them and what was important to them and could talk about it. Soon they would be coherent and talking or eating.

Music is a major tool I use in my own life, so I can see how it would minister to people. This is the type of therapy... personalized, that we need to be giving to a lot of patients, long before this stage. I wish it were the only tool needed... as it would be pretty simple, but it is one tool and the more we implement each tool we can implement... the better the ends of all our lives will be.

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