Suffering from dementia or having a relative with the condition can be a depressing and stressful time, when the thought of singing, dancing or even listening to music seems like the last thing you will want to do – but this is a shame as music therapy is a brilliant aid in managing dementia. Many Eastleigh care homes in Minehead use music therapy – along with other helpful activities – to keep their residents interested and entertained.
What is Music Therapy?
Music therapy is, literally as it sounds, the use of music as a form of therapy. Music therapy can include everything from simply listening to music, all the way up to making music or frequency healing. It can take the form of rhythmic clapping, playing instruments, singing – with or without words, and listening to everything from classical music to rocking out to golden oldies from the dawn of rock and roll.
How Does it Work?
Music has long been known to affect different parts of the brain when it comes to listening and performing. Even music in memory is separate from both episodic memory (memories about things that have happened to us) and implicit memory (knowing what letters in a certain order spell out) – and it is often stored in a part of the part that is largely unaffected by Alzheimer’s and other dementia conditions. The function by which an hour or two of music, be it military bands, or symphonic orchestras, or even children’s nursery rhymes, works on the brain is unknown – all that is known is that it does work, and it is especially effective with dementia patients.
Why is it so Effective with Dementia Patients?
Activating that part of the brain (or those parts of the brain, is probably a better way to phrase it) can help to strengthen and even partially (and temporarily) restore some cognitive function in other areas. Regular exposure to music therapy can help to delay the advance of the disease. Think of it as reinforcing a wall that is still standing – this is the musical part of the brain – but that reinforcing helping to retain the crumbling chimney (the part of the brain affected by dementia) and assist it to stand for a little longer. Music therapy is not a cure – at present there is no cure for dementia, despite some very promising research – but it can slow the progress of the disease and ensure that there are more good days than not in the time your relative has left.
How to Use Music Therapy with Your Dementia Sufferer
While your dementia patient might be an old rocker, or an early afficionado of hip-hop, these music genres are not always the right ones to use to try and stimulate their brains! Classical music – often sneered at by those who like a driving beat and the latest of lyrics – has been proven to boost creativity, allowing artists and writers to produce their best work under its helpful, if misunderstood influence, and for this reason, it should be the first port of call when it comes to music therapy. But in all honesty, any music with a good beat and easily remembered lyrics is a great addition to your music therapy sessions, which should absolutely return to the music that has the best effect on the patients.