The Benefits of Music for Memory Care Residents

Let's talk a little bit about music and memory, starting with memory. From normal forgetfulness to dementia, the memory function of seniors varies widely from person to person. Dementia is a general term for people who experience severe memory loss that interferes with daily life, difficulties with thinking, problem-solving, or language most often seen in seniors. 

One of the most common symptoms of dementia is trouble with communication. For some, it starts with the mixing up of words. For example, a senior may say something like, "I want to eat dirt" when they mean "I want to eat lunch." These small mix-ups often come across as a silly mishap; however, they can be a sign of dementia. As dementia progresses, a person may entirely lose the ability to communicate in coherent sentences. A person with severe dementia may even babble like an infant, while others may not speak at all.

So, how does music come into play? Research has found that while dementia causes progressive memory loss and impairment, memory for music remains. This means that melodies can often bring back memories of names, faces, and forgotten words. In fact, data has shown that listening to music releases dopamine in the brain. Dopamine is the "feel-good" natural neurochemical responsible for feelings of pleasure and reward in our lives. I have personally observed how music can miraculously stimulate residents' brains throughout my experience working in various senior living environments over the last seven years. I have witnessed the unbelievable in terms of what music can do for a person struggling with dementia. 

The first time was approximately five years ago. I had an Alzheimer's resident who happened to be a "babbler." When she spoke, my coworkers and I had a hard time understanding her. I would always go along with whatever she was "saying," nodding along and going through the motions of a conversation as if I understood her, to avoid any possible frustration. One day, we took her to a live music performance. As soon as she heard the performer sing "Bye Bye Love" by the Everly Brothers, she began to sing clearly and finished the entire song in plain, direct English. It was perfect and left me breathless. On a similar occasion, I observed another resident with Alzheimer's sit down and played a song on the piano seamlessly. These are just two of the many scenarios where I have witnessed the true gift that music brings to seniors.

As an Activities Director at an Assisted Living Community, I hire singers weekly to perform for our residents before COVID-19. Music is extremely reminiscent for them. During performances, it is not uncommon to see smiling faces and hear them talk of the various memories that their brain associates with that song. Often, I hear seniors reminiscing about a time they had gone dancing with a partner, their wedding day, raising children, and even their time in high school. All because of a familiar song. Whenever we have entertainers perform, we see many residents dance in their seats, wheelchairs, and walkers and those who are able to, get up and dance! 

In my line of work, music has proven itself to be a priceless gift. It is not only fun for seniors to listen and dance to, but it does so much more—preserving precious memories and stimulating the brain. It is, indeed, why our Assisted Living Community, Rockville Terrace Senior Living, has entertainment so often.

Learn more about how we integrate music into our community or to schedule a virtual tour, contact us today!