Music and Dementia

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/AlzheimersCommunity/alzheimers-disease-music-brings-patients-back-life/story?id=16117602#.T4bWHJkvkUU

This ABC News story chronicles how music affects Alzheimers patients.  I see this every day in Mother and the other residents.  Even the most withdrawn residents perk up when there is a music group singing or when the karaoke is going.  Mother actually smiles, dances, claps her hands, and the music truly lifts her spirits.  We keep a radio by Mother's bed, and we often sing together, which makes her happy.

There is one man in the Alzheimers unit with Mother who listens to his music every day after lunch.  He can barely speak, he sleeps almost all of the time, he is confined to a reclining wheel chair, yet when his music is playing he sings!  He moves his hands.  He experiences a real joy.  I love walking by his room and hearing his mumbled words and watching him swing his hands.  He's having a great time.  Music does bring the dementia patient alive!