Music is this weird and wonderful magical and transformative thing. It perhaps could be described as being drug-like because of its power to transform one’s mental/emotional well being.
Music is this weird and wonderful magical and transformative thing. It perhaps could be described as being drug-like because of its power to transform one’s mental/emotional well being. With the recent passing of Casey Kasem my wife and I have been delighted listening to old Top 40 shows on iHeart Radio each evening while we unwind in the hot tub. My teen years were remarkably unhappy and yet the music from that time in my life magically calls up fantastic positive memories while leaving the unhappiness buried.
Music, Seniors and Dementia Residents
Sometime ago I wrote about the film “Alive Inside” that tell moving stories about how music is transforming dementia residents. Andy Tubman and his young company SingFit have created an active music-making system that allows senior living communities to transform the lives of seniors, harnessing the power of music backed by proven music therapy techniques. Take a look at this video:
Why Music Is Important
- Research shows that music has the ability to stimulate the brain in ways that nothing else can.
- As individuals lose cognitive function (including but not limited to individuals with dementia) one of the very last things to go is music. This means when nothing else can reach the old self, singing has been proven to be an effective whole brain exercise that has the power to reach deep into the mind and re-engage parts of the brain that would otherwise remain hidden.
- Studies have shown that when residents engage in music therapy at least 3 times per week, they have increased focus, better memory and more positive moods.
- Studies further show that active music-making including singing and other whole-brain exercises, done on a regular basis have the ability to combat dementia.
How It Works
The SingFit PRIME program team works with the senior living community to train staff on how to implement a whole body music program. This includes, sing-a-long, trivia and action resulting in a whole brain and body workout. Once the staff has been trained, each quarter SingFit PRIME provides a fresh pack of 12 new playlists that each have 10 songs, all licensed to be used in your communities activity program.
They are accompanies by trivia questions and movement exercises. The operating platform is an Apple iPad. In effect what the SingFit PRIME provides is a music therapist designed program that your local team members can implement that will have substantial benefit to all residents, and is partiuclarly a powerful empowering tool for memory care residents. The program is currently being used in 50 senior living communities including all 30 Ageis Living communities. Steve Moran
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What a wonderful program! The clever verbal equivalent to ‘follow the bouncing red ball’ using live voice cues instead of sheet music or lyrics projected onto a screen that would be challenging for the residents to read. Very simple and totally engaging.
Thanks for turning me on to this program Steve. I will forward this to the Activity Directors I know.
The award winning “Alive Inside” documentary will be playing at this year’s Patient Centered Care Symposium in San Diego on September 9th. If you’d like more information on this screening you can go to http://www.nationalresearch.com/about/symposium-2014/.
Music has been sudied for years in memory care residents. Music is encoded in the brain very differently than other data. It is also a part of the brain that survives the longest.
During the holidays, my wife and I have had the occasion of traveling to and from small AL and MC communities and sing holiday carols. One time, when we were in a dementia unit, there was a gentleman who was almost catatonic. He never spoke according to the staff. After we began with Jingle Bells, the man turned from his motions in the corner of the room and began to sign along.
There is something else stored in this region of the brain–how we view ourselves socially. There are studies being conducted at UC Davis that are showing some great results that through music, they can tap into the way the resident views themself socially which contributes to improved behaviors.
Music is just so powerful. I think every human feels that.
I studied Music Therapy for two years in college. It is extremely gratifying to see music being integrated into memory care programming. I’m eager to look into the organizations referenced in the article. A good friend of mine works for the National Music Therapy Association. I plan to share this article with her as well.