Music & Memories: The positive impact that music can have on seniors
For many people, music is enough to bring back fond memories and improve their mood. It’s such a powerful thing that studies have found that personalized music playlists can help alleviate symptoms of dementia and reduce the need for anti-anxiety and antipsychotic medications. Here several other benefits that listening to music can have on the life of seniors.
- Memory improvement. Music does more than calm patients with Alzheimer’s or dementia. Listening to a song can also help access memories that were once lost. This may be because music is related to procedural memory, which is responsible for remembering how to do things. Triggering this kind of recall can help people remember other things and generally improves memory.
- Greater happiness. Music releases chemicals such as dopamine, which make the listener feel good. Listening to music in a group setting can also encourage socialization, making seniors less likely to feel isolated and depressed.
- Better health. Listening to and playing music regularly has been found to lower blood pressure, relieve stress and boost the immune system. Furthermore, it can help with stroke recovery, because it stimulates memory and reduces the risk of depression. Music can also help people with Alzheimer’s or dementia to communicate with those around them.
How to incorporate more music into your life
If you think your loved one could benefit from listening to music, here are a few things you can do.
- Bring them to a concert. If they’re mobile, taking in a live performance is a great way to enjoy music. If they can’t make it out, ask the staff at their retirement home if there’s a possibility to organize musical entertainment at the facility. Most of our locations keep a regular schedule of monthly entertainment but if there’s a music style in particular they will be open to suggestion!
- Create a personalized playlist. Make a playlist of popular songs from their formative years (teens to mid-twenties) and play it for them regularly. This is especially beneficial for people with dementia and Alzheimer’s, as this is the music they’re most likely to remember.
- Enroll in music therapy. Activities centred around music, such as learning a new instrument, sing-alongs and music games can be beneficial to all seniors. Many of our Retirement Concepts communities offer music therapy to our residents, and others offer regular musical entertainment.
Come discover why we’re so nice to come home to!
If you or a loved one is ready to move into an independent or assisted living retirement home, or if more complex care is needed, make a Retirement Concepts location a home away from home. Contact the location nearest you to schedule a visit and enjoy a tour.