I not long ago looked over a bulletin on the Wall Street Journal website related to the use of music therapy in dementia patients. The writing stated that one of the criticisms of iPods is that people who use them tend to withdraw from conversations with other folks and stay in an insulated universe of their own. However, recent observations of stroke and dementia patients are revealing that iPods and other MP3 devices in many cases have the reverse consequence.
By listening to some old familiar tunes, advanced dementia patients can reconnect with their memories and with each other in some surprising ways, especially for people with degenerative brain disorders. To cite an example, as stated in the Journal, listening to rap and reggae on a borrowed iPod every day prompted a 28-year-old stroke victim to learn to walk and use his hands again.
In another case, a 52 year-old man who fell from a fourth-floor building site and suffered a crushed larynx became so captivated with music that he wrote 400 songs and made four albums. An 85-year-old dementia patient in Florida listens to her favorite opera and Yiddish songs every day on an iPod with a home health aide or her daughter when she comes to visit. 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 been aware for many years that music therapy in dementia patients can be very effectual. They have observed for decades that Alzheimer's sufferers can still remember and sing songs long after they have stopped recognizing names and faces. Hospitals and aging care facilities have been using music as diversion for a long time, because it brings patients pleasure. Moreover, beyond the delight value, there is significant evidence that listening to music can also help stimulate apparently lost memories, and even help restore cognitive function in some cases. (via IPod Therapy for Alzheimer's Patients, WSJ.com)
As a senior citizen myself I am a big supporter of iPods and equivalent devices for senior citizens. I myself have an iPhone, which is pretty much an iPod with a phone built into it. I am aware that many of you will be dubious because you think such devices are too complex for seniors. However, as research as shown, using complicated devices can be quite effective in minimizing memory loss due to aging. Now we discover that the musical functions can be helpful even for those who have already begun to experience cognitive decline.
Well, okay, you may 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 very helpful for those who are willing to be creative and attentive in applying its use. IPod music therapy in dementia patients is a perfect example.
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