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SINGING IMPROVES MEMORY AND MOOD IN DEMENTIA PATIENTS
MUSIC HELPS DEMENTIA PATIENTS RECALL
Last week, we sadly heard the news that Tony Bennett passed away at the age of 96 years old. Some people might not have known that Tony had Alzheimer’s and was diagnosed in 2016. Despite his Alzheimer’s disease progression, Tony Bennett returned to the stage several times at Carnegie Hall for two concerts with his friend Lady Gaga who he released his first album with in 2014 and second in 2018 and another time with another artist in 2021.
When he heard the piano begin to play, Tony jumped right in and sang without skipping a beat. Tony does not know he has Alzheimers, but he knows he is at home and sad he was not on stage performing. His neurologist finally said “Let him Sing,” as research shows it can be invigorating to his mood and the lyrics are still stored in his memory. It appears to be nothing short of a miracle, but doctors show that the hardwired part of the brain, which is music for Tony, engages auditory, movement and dance, visual, which activates the brain.
This shows how music is good for not only the soul but for your memory and mood.
Music has been found to stimulate parts of the brain, and studies have demonstrated that music enhances the memory of Alzheimer’s and dementia patients, including a study conducted at UC Irvine, which showed that scores on memory tests of Alzheimer’s patients improved when they listened to classical music.
A recent study shows that dementia and Alzheimer’s patients can recall memories and emotions, and have enhanced mental performance after singing classic hits and show tunes from movies and musicals — a breakthrough in understanding how music affects those with dementia and Alzheimer’s.
SINGING REDUCES ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION…FOR ANYONE
Residents at care homes who participated in an “old time sing-a-long” were found to have significantly reduced levels of anxiety and depression, compared with residents who did not participate.
MUSIC AS PART OF DEMENTIA CARE IMPROVES MOOD AND QUALITY OF LIFE
People caring for people with dementia were coached to include singing and music listening as part of everyday care. Compared with usual care, singing and music listening improved mood and quality of life for both the person living with dementia and their caregivers.
MUSIC INCREASES ALERTNESS, HAPPINESS, AND RECALL OF PERSONAL HISTORIES
A study looked at people living with Alzheimer’s and they divided them into three groups with different activities for six months: puzzle activities, drawing and painting, and listening to “Big Band” music from the 1920s and 1930s. The people who listened to music were shown to be more alert, happier, and had higher recall of past personal history than those in the other two groups.
There are online sites that provide singalongs for all ages. They craft each video to help people living with dementia connect with memories and emotions. They select positive, uplifting, and familiar songs, and then put them in singable keys and add engaging singalong leaders alongside easy-to-read lyrics.
If you are caring for a loved one living with Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia, please try some online singalong videos. Singing together can create new moments of joy and connection for you and your loved one.
If you or a loved one is in Myrtle Beach, Grand Dunes, Pawleys Island, Litchfield, or within the Horry County area and you have any questions or concerns about their health or would like more information about home care, please give Amethyst Home Care a call at (843) 984-0739, toll-free(800) 476-7059 or email us at info@amethysthomecare-com.us13.cdn-alpha.com to meet with one of our RNs for a more comprehensive personalized home assessment.
