NEHITA ABRAHAM
THE HALLS ARE ALIVE WITH
THE BONDS OF MUSIC
An elderly man, in the throes of late stage dementia, sat slumped
over a wheelchair, unresponsive. When the nursing home staff
gives him headphones and play familiar music from decades before
on an iPod and he literally comes alive. He sits up, smiles, begins
moving his head and hands and effortlessly sings the lyrics to
songs he hasn’t heard in 40 years. for activities such as moving to the kitchen or dancing together to
Mom’s or Dad’s favourite tunes!
Yes, it is true that memories fade away as our parents or
grandparents reach their senior years. And although that can
become tough on us emotionally and mentally, the answer to
bonding with them, lies in the simplicity of a song. “What is so powerful is that we can use music to maintain
relationships when we lose our words,” says Dr. Alison who sings
to, and with her patients, some of who have dementia. “Caregivers
have cried when they’ve told me they’ve sung with parents. They
say, ‘I got my mom back that day.’ These are some of the most
important moments in their relationships.”
Music triggers pleasure points in the brain allowing us to recall
good feelings, and at the risk of sounding like a movie promotion,
The Sound Of Music movie definitely proved this point with its
song tales of individual and family oriented reunions.
Music Is Good For Your Family’s Health
The tempos and types of music can reduce stress and agitation,
prompt word retrieval, calm and motivate, lower blood pressure
and heart rate, and even control pain.
Researchers find changes in neurochemicals when families either
hear music they like or sing, chant, or play instruments. To put it
simply, music activates or motivates the pleasure centers of the
brain.
And don’t forget memory. Music helps in recalling memories,
which is really important for family members who are starting
to lose their memory. According to Concetta Tomaino, a music
therapist, researcher and cofounder of the Institute for Music and
Neurologic Function, “even at the end of Alzheimer’s, people still
have recognition memory. If a person has a connection to a piece
of music it’s usually because it reminds them of a person, place or
time.” They might not remember your name or the experience, but
they associate it with something special.
What You Can Do
Experts advise caregivers to play for older generations when they
were younger children/teenagers. Any favourite pieces or singers,
show tunes, opera, pop or classical can bring back sweet times. Dr.
Theresa Alison, a musicologist at the University of California, San
Francisco, says her research shows “music works best when it is
familiar and beloved.”
She encourages the families of her patients to sing with them
on a regular basis. “Morning care is much better when singing
than bossing them around,” she says. She advises to play quieter
music when they’re walking up, and then picking up the tempo
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The
Score Magazine
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Music triggers the brain for non-dementia conditions such as
Stroke, Parkinson’s and Huntington’s.
Bonding Through Music
Turns out that it was indeed the power of music that brought her
closer to both her mother and grandmother, who had suffered
from dementia. At the end of her mother’s life, Dr. Alison sang to
her and played music. In the end when her grandmother could no
longer talk, they sang together a song she had taught Dr. Alison as
a child. “It was amazing,” she said.
Instead of recoiling
or feeling sorry
for those that
can't recall
events or
information,
just play a
song or sing
with them
and enjoy long
lasting bonds
that won’t
break through
music.