The use of Music Therapy in Dementia Care

Music for people with Dementia can be mood enhancing, stimulating, soothing, connecting and comforting. Every health care professional or occupational therapist in the world probably believes in music therapy-yet music has been shown to have positive effects when played by dementia patients.

When I was just beginning my research into dementia disease, trying to find out what is dementia, why it destroys the ability to remember family members or events from one’s own life, and looking for best activities for dementia patients, I came across a study about dementia. The authors in the study reported that listening to music boosts brain activity that is highly therapeutic for people with dementia. Patients participated in the study that listens to music can often reawaken personal memories than participants who did not listen.

Moreover, music is a perfect therapy for people with dementia. It is liked everyday by people of all ages, so it surely is age-appropriate; and it is easy to recognize and play, so it is stage-specific for anyone. Dementia patients can identify anything from personally meaningful songs to familiar old favorites, or pop songs from their salad days. This variation allows for the music to be played, in one version or another,by patients at different stages of the dementia, and to stimulate thought process, memories, or other mental abilities.