![]() ![]() So what kind of music should you play for your loved one with dementia?Īny music that’s familiar and likable elicits the best responses, and any songs associated with prior experiences - including those of their youth (ages 18 to 25) - have a higher potential for engagement. According to the Alzheimer's Foundation of America, when used appropriately, music can “shift mood, manage stress-induced agitation, stimulate positive interactions, facilitate cognitive function and coordinate motor movements.” Many people don’t realize the health benefits of music for those with dementia, especially in aiding patients with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. “ It was a beautiful thing to watch,” he remembers, “ how by playing this instrument that anybody can play, you can reach into a person’s life and unfreeze them when the medicine may not work fast enough.” Upon doing so, he watched the woman melt out of her anxious state, relax and come back to a state of peace and conversation. One instrument Heineman says that any chaplain is able to play is their smartphone, which is why he took out his, opened YouTube and played the woman her favorite song. “ Over the Rainbow,” she said, “ Judy,” referring to Judy Garland. ![]() Heineman approached this woman and asked her one simple question: He described this patient as “ frozen” in an “ anxious state,” incapable of moving or talking when the nurses called upon him to work his magic. Heineman recalls one of his many experiences as a Crossroads chaplain in which music played a significant role in the comfort of his patient. Needless to say, music is very beneficial to dementia patients. “ It touches the soul in many different ways,” he says. Nineteenth century poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow once said, “Music is the universal language of mankind.” Crossroads Hospice Chaplain David Heineman shares this philosophy: Top 10 Music Playlist for Dementia Patients
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