LLT #208 - Music and Dementia - What's the Connection? 🎶🎵👴🏽👵🏽🎷🎹🎺🎼💝

#dementia #dementiacare #alzheimer #alzheimersdisease #alzheimerawareness #elderlycare #healthyaging #brainhealth #seniorcare #familycaregivers #thelonggoodbye

Dementia is an umbrella term for several neurological brain disorders that cause impairment with memory, thinking skills, and behaviour which significantly impair everyday life. This includes Alzheimer's Disease, Vascular, Frontotemporal, Lewy Body and many others.

The reality, which can be very distressing, is its progression, its unpredictability and personally, a sense of loss. It is really "the long goodbye".

Whether early stages or full-blown Alzheimer's disease where verbal communication is gone and it may seem as if your loved one is just "existing".

What role does music play in our lives? Well, think about it; your life: 🎶🎵👴🏽👵🏽🎷🎹🎺🎼💝 🎶🎵👴🏽👵🏽🎷🎹🎺🎼💝

- Is there a "soundtrack" ? A song you go to, that stirs your heart?

- Is there a song that brings back memories?

- Is there a song that stirs your emotions and calms you when you feel anxious?

The same applies to persons with dementia, even when there is no obvious means of communication.

How can music help? Research has shown that music can help with

- Cognition

- Memory and

- Attention and Concentration

It brings back memories long forgotten, stirs emotions, calms agitation and relieves depression and anxiety, improves social connection in early stages; even reduce blood pressure.

Use music anytime the favourite music of your loved one; hold their hand, dance if possible, and have their friends over if feasible.

MUSIC is the soundtrack to our lives; play a tune, sing, dance!

Life is short!

One day/hour at a time

From my heart to yours💗

Dr. Lana