A concert for seniors at the adult day program at Institute on Aging's Enrichment Center in the Presidio.
Whether in a social context, or at home with a one-on-one caretaker, research shows that music can keep seniors with dementia connected, engaged, and active.
Institute on Aging’s Companioa is a comprehensive set of services designed to support adults with dementia and their caregivers. Music plays a large part in their adult day program at the Institute on Aging’s Enrichment Center, but they also teach family caregivers various musical strategies for helping seniors at home with emotional regulation and day-to-day routines.
Music and memory:
Everyone has certain songs that connect directly to specific memories from their past, whether they’re positive or negative. There’s a sense that the right song can transport you back in time. That’s not just nostalgia; it’s neurological. Research shows that memories and music are closely linked.
Those music-associated memories are stored in an area of the brain that doesn’t tend to be affected by dementia until the later stages of the disease. Even when patients have symptoms that severely affect their day-to-day life, they might be able to recall those musical memories vividly.
How can music help with emotional regulation?
It’s not just memories that can be triggered by songs. Music can have a profound effect on emotion and mood, as well.
It’s important to remember that music can evoke strong feelings — positive and negative alike. When it comes time to put together the daily playlist at Companioa’s adult day program, the individual preferences of each day’s attendees are taken into account. Seniors have been known to spontaneously burst into tears at hearing a song that might have significance for them. Music can be incredibly personal, and it’s important to pay attention to the specific genres and songs that a dementia patient likes or dislikes.
The right music can help soothe dementia patients, reducing the anxiety and agitation that is often associated with the middle stages of memory loss symptoms. Alexandra Kaplan, Companioa’s caregiver coach, recommends playing music during day-to-day routines like bathing or meals.
How can music help dementia patients connect socially?
For seniors who struggle to communicate in the later stages of the disease, music can help provide an emotional connection and strengthen bonds.
Enjoying music together at Companioa's adult day program.
Research shows that engaging in music-related activities together can improve communication and provide an outlet for meaningful interaction between patients and their loved ones. After music therapy, “participants with dementia demonstrated eye contact with caregivers, interest, focus, and calmness,” but caregivers also experienced decreased anxiety.
Music can connect seniors with dementia to not only their friends and family, but also their larger community. At Companioa’s adult day program, for example, volunteers from local colleges perform regularly, across a wide variety of genres.
How can music help seniors maintain an active lifestyle?
Supervised, safe physical activity can have a variety of benefits for seniors. Movement in combination with cognitive engagement is even more effective, and has even been shown to delay the progression of dementia symptoms.
Music can boost mood and memory, but it can also encourage dementia patients to get up and move! Dancing is a fantastic way of encouraging seniors to stay physically fit and mentally sharp. It can serve as an opportunity to socialize, too, connecting seniors with their peers and community alike.
Music is a valuable tool to help dementia patients stay positive, physically active, and cognitively engaged, but it's also a great way to enjoy time with them, whether at home or with a group of peers.
