Music Therapy In Dementia Patients: Prescribe An MP3 Player To Aid With Memory Health!

I recently looked over a report on the Wall Street Journal website related to the use of music therapy in dementia patients. The writing indicated that one of the criticisms of music playback devices is that those who use them seem to stay away from relationships with other folks and stay in an insulated universe of their own. However, recent monitoring of stroke and Alzheimer's sufferers are disclosing that iPods and other MP3 players frequently have the reverse effect.

By listening to some old familiar tunes, advanced Alzheimer's patients can relink with their memories and with one another in some remarkable ways, especially for those with degenerative brain diseases. To cite an example, according to the Journal, listening to rap and reggae on a borrowed iPod every day prompted a 28-year-old stroke sufferer to resume walking and utilize his hands again.

In another instance, a 52 year-old man who fell out of a fourth-floor construction site and suffered a crushed larynx became so captivated with music that he has written 400 songs and made four albums. An 85-year-old dementia patient in Florida listens to her beloved opera and Yiddish songs each day on an iPod with a home health aide or her daughter when she drops in. According to her daughter they listen for about a half-hour a day and "It seems to touch something deep within her."

Caregivers have known for many years that music therapy in dementia patients can be very effective. They have observed for decades that Alzheimer's sufferers can remember and sing tunes for an extended time after they have stopped knowing names and faces. Hospitals and nursing homes have been using music as recreation for a long time, because it brings patients pleasure. Moreover, beyond the delight value, there is important evidence that listening to music can also help improve apparently lost memories, and even help revive cognitive function in some cases. (via IPod Therapy for Alzheimer's Patients, WSJ.com)

As a senior myself I am a big fan of iPods and similar devices for senior citizens. I myself have an iPhone, which is pretty much an iPod with a phone built into it. I am aware that many of you will be dubious because you think such devices are too difficult for seniors. However, as research as shown, using complicated devices can be quite efficacious in slowing memory loss due to aging. Now we have discovered that the musical capabilities can be helpful even for those who have already suffered cognitive decline.

Well, okay, you might not want to actually leave an iPod in the hands of a person who is experiencing dementia, but such a device can certainly be used, under supervision, to provide the kinds of music therapy in dementia patients set out in this article. Technology can be very helpful for those who are willing to be imaginative and discerning in applying its use. IPod music therapy in dementia patients is a great example.

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