The Powerful Connection Between Music and Memory

Over the weekend, I attended a funeral for a great aunt of mine.  She had loved music, and it had been a great way for her to connect with her children as the years passed and she developed dementia.  Her daughter spoke and said that music was one of the few things they had still been able to enjoy together on her frequent visits.

There are now several studies that strongly encourage families and older adult communities to incorporate more music into the daily lives of those with dementia.  Personally meaningful music has been shown to help people with dementia focus, manage emotions, connect with others and access long term memories.  The key to using music with someone with dementia is that the music has to be personal to them.  Think about a time when you heard a song that brought you instantly back to a long-ago moment in your life, that’s the power of music for all of us.  Hundreds of skilled nursing facilities and assisted livings have started music programs for their residents.  Having family and close friends help set up a play list onto an iPod or iPhone is helpful.  Most use earphones help the person focus on the music.  I have seen a woman who was considered non-verbal in her late stage dementia, sing hymns and get every word right.  It is truly amazing to see.

There is a program called Music and Memory that was designed by Dan Cohen several years ago.  He now has a non-profit that helps educate others on bringing music to older adults.  For more information about his program, visit his website at, www.musicandmemory.org  You Tube has a video, “Alive Inside” that shows how this program works.