Music Matters For People With Alzheimer's and Related Dementias

Music can help reach and awaken someone even in the end-stages of Alzheimer's and related dementias. But how do you find the right chord to play? The key is to use something from the person's life story that was really meaningful to them. Here, Kim talks about a gentleman in the end stages of Alzheimer's. He had lost the ability to talk and was hard to communicate with. With her partner, Kim found out that he used to be a big Chicago baseball fan. Gathering as many props as they could, they started reminiscing to him and naming all the old names of baseball players he'd known. The gentleman opened his eyes and they could tell he was listening. Then they started singing "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" to him. Right in the middle of the song, the tears started to run down his cheeks. Music touches memories. These memories are preserved even though the person has Alzheimer's. We don't know what this man was remembering, but clearly even at the very end of life, he was still inside. So don't stop using music to bring quality of life to persons with Alzheimer's at all stages--it really does work. Kim Warchol, OTR/L, is the president and founder of Dementia Care Specialists. Kim's blog: http://bit.ly/Tmpypm