A cry of hope and triumph came from a woman with Alzheimer’s disease as she exclaimed, “The music is mine!”
This resident has lived in a memory care facility for several years. She received an iPod with her own personal playlist of music in her native language of Spanish, something she rarely gets to hear. Slipping the headphones over her ears and clipping the iPod to her shawl, this sweet lady dances in her room and up and down the hallway with her walker as her partner. She is one of the many success stories of a Music & Memory program.
Family and community donations provide funding for the purchase of iPods and headphones. Through Music & Memory programs, residents in an assisted living community are equipped with digital music devices loaded with personalized playlists.
Some residents may be able to tell us the kind of music that they want to hear; however, the majority of those diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia may not be able to clearly communicate what types of music they enjoy.
The task of picking out individualized music playlists is then shared with family members and staff. The positive effects of music as a person connect with a song and experience joy is also shared. These special moments of clarity may only last a few minutes, but the healing power of music seems to take the toll of dementia away.
Residents may become more aware of their surroundings, relax, and be more social. A certain song may spark a memory and a conversation with someone who may have otherwise been silent.
Music connects us. We can remember thousands of songs in a heartbeat, much like an iPod, but may not recall what we had for breakfast this morning. Music often reaches us where logic cannot, touching our souls and bringing out our true selves.
How often do we turn to music in times of stress, anger, sadness or joy? There is music for falling in love, heartbreak, anger or just to hear a beat. We share our music like we share our stories, and it conveys deep and personal parts of who we are. Music can take us back to specific events, like a first kiss or sitting at your mother’s feet as she sang to you. We listen and remember. That’s the power of music and memory.