I recently checked out a broadcast on the Wall Street Journal website related to the use of music therapy in dementia patients. The report said that one of the criticisms of music playback devices is that those who use them are apt to withdraw from relationships with other people and stay in an insulated world of their own. However, recent monitoring of stroke and Alzheimer's sufferers are revealing that iPods and other MP3 devices frequently have the contrary outcome.
By listening to some old common music, advanced Alzheimer's patients can relink with their memories and with one another in some extraordinary ways, especially for people with degenerative brain diseases. For instance, as reported by the Journal, listening to rap and reggae on a borrowed iPod every day helped a 28-year-old stroke patient to resume walking and utilize his hands again.
In another example, a 52 year-old man who fell from a fourth-floor construction site and suffered a crushed larynx became so beguiled with music that he has written 400 songs and made four albums. An 85-year-old Alzheimer's patient in Florida listens to her beloved opera and Yiddish songs each day on an iPod with a home health aide or her daughter when she drops in. According to her daughter they listen for at least about half an hour a day and "It seems to touch something deep within her."
Caregivers have known for many years that music therapy in dementia patients can be extremely effective. They have observed for decades that Alzheimer's patients can recall and sing tunes for an extended time after they have stopped recognizing names and faces. Hospitals and aging care facilities have been using music as recreation for a long time, since it brings patients pleasure. Moreover, beyond the enjoyment value, there is meaningful evidence that listening to music can also help improve apparently lost memories, and even help rehabilitate cognitive function in some cases. (via IPod Therapy for Alzheimer's Patients, WSJ.com)
As a senior myself I am a big supporter of iPods and similar devices for senior citizens. I myself have an iPhone, which is basically an iPod with a phone built into it. I am aware that many of you will be doubtful because you think such devices are too difficult for seniors. However, as research as shown, using complicated devices can be quite efficacious in slowing memory loss due to aging. Now we have discovered that the musical functions can be helpful even for those who have already suffered memory loss.
Well, okay, you might not want to actually leave an iPod in the hands of a person who is experiencing dementia, but such a device can certainly be used, under supervision, to provide the kinds of music therapy in dementia patients set out in this article. Technology can be amazing for those who are willing to be creative thinkers and discerning in applying its use. IPod music therapy in dementia patients is a great example.
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