Some of the other ways music helps dementia patients are as follows:<\/p>\n
Music can evoke emotion in even the most advanced dementia patients. According to Neurologist Oliver Sacks, \u201cMusic evokes emotion, and emotion can bring with it memory\u2026 it brings back the feeling of life when nothing else can.\u201d<\/p>\n
As a consistent rhythm can help patients recall memories, pairing music with everyday\u00a0activities can be an effective method of helping dementia patients develop a routine or carry out daily tasks. Over time, music can help to improve the cognitive ability of a dementia patient and help them carry out day to day activities consistently.<\/p>\n
According to Linda Maguire, lead writer of a US Study on Dementia and Alzheimers<\/a>, \u201cMusical aptitude and music appreciation are two of the last remaining abilities in patients with Alzheimer\u2019s.\u201d As these abilities remain long after other abilities have passed, music is an excellent way to communicate with the patient and reach them on a deeper level beyond the disease.<\/p>\n
In the more developed stages of dementia, patients often\u00a0lose the ability to share their emotions\u00a0with caregivers and family members. If they are still able to dance, music can encourage a physical closeness, which helps them express their emotions and feel secure. Our Compassionate Touch\u00ae Course<\/a> also helps with physical closeness as it teaches effective touch techniques for caregivers and their patient.<\/p>\n
Singing activates the left side of the brain, listening to music sparks activity in the right side of the brain, and participating in music classes activates visual areas of the brain. As so many areas of the brain can be stimulated by music, it can be an excellent way to help dementia patients exercise their brain and use more mind\u00a0power than they normally would.<\/p>\n
According to the\u00a0Alzheimer\u2019s Foundation of America, the appropriate use of music can elevate the patient\u2019s mood, and manage agitation and stress, as well as stimulate positive interactions. Music can also facilitate cognitive function and coordinate motor movements in patients.<\/p>\n
MHA Westona and Queensway is a care home in Stafford in the United Kingdom with a specialist dementia care unit. The care home has provided music therapy to its patients for more than 10 years, with more than 2,000 residents across MHA\u2019s 84 care homes taking part in regular music therapy sessions.<\/p>\n
According to the staff and relatives of the care home\u2019s patients, the sessions have made a real difference to the residents<\/a>, particularly Pegg, a 91-year-old suffering from dementia.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cThe message is: do not give up on these men and women. You want to be performing things that engage them, and singing is cheap, effortless and engaging.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
If you are caring for someone with dementia and want to use music in their care, but don\u2019t know where to start, just think about the music genres that they have always enjoyed the most. Start playing songs to them and you\u2019ll quickly be able to tell which they are most responsive too.<\/p>\n
We\u2019d love to hear how you\u2019ve used music in your care routine. Leave us a comment to let us know.<\/p>\n
In the Ageless Grace<\/a>\u00ae\u00a0<\/strong>course we move to music, letting our body bring back sensations of movement skills we had years ago and activating our brain at the same time.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"