When families are faced with the difficult realization that Mom or Dad should move to a nursing home, they naturally want one that is a good fit for the parent’s personality. A community offering music therapy for memory care residents may be appealing. This additional service with dementia nursing care in The Villages, FL helps residents feel more content with their living arrangement and conveys other significant benefits.
Music and the Brain
Many people with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia can hum familiar tunes and sing memorized lyrics long after they can no longer remember certain important life details. That’s because these diseases do not have much effect on areas of the brain associated with musical memory.
Relevant Research
In addition, music therapy actually improves cognitive function in these patients. That’s according to research published in a 2020 issue of Frontiers in Medicine
Positive Emotional Effects
In a community providing dementia nursing care in The Villages, FL, music therapy can calm agitated residents, lighten mood and relieve stress. This is a distinct advantage since many dementia patients sometimes become anxious, upset and even combative. Overall, these individuals are more likely to feel this way in the late afternoon and evening.
A Renewed Relationship
Families and friends who have felt discouraged about attempts to communicate effectively with their loved one may experience a renewed relationship by incorporating music into their visits. The therapist can include these visitors in sessions to demonstrate useful strategies. Patients are likely to respond most positively to familiar favorite songs and may even remember all the words.
