Dementia patients may seem disengaged, fearful, or removed from social settings. To combat this, researchers suggest you play dementia patients their favorite tune.
The British researchers suggest that individuals should learn how to play musical instruments as they believe it can stave off dementia. This is because regions in the brain that process music overlap with areas used for memory.
Baroness Sally Greengross explained, “People with dementia have largely been denied the power of meaningful music. They often live in a silent world, yet music can bring a person back to life.”
Even though there is growing evidence to support the benefits of music on dementia patients, many patients are not exposed to music and there still isn’t enough done to provide these patients with musical therapy to help them.
The study findings unveiled that dementia patients can still understand and enjoy music regardless of the damage caused by dementia. Furthermore, patients listening to their favorite song may experience improved behavior and mood as well as reduced language and memory problems.
Dr. Karen Harrison-Dening of Dementia UK said, “Music is increasingly being used to help people with dementia relive past experiences and tap into powerful emotions.
It can provide comfort and pleasure and provide a way to help people connect.”
Dr. Laura Phipps of Alzheimer’s Research UK added, “Listening to or playing music can be a stimulating and social experience.”
Even though there is a lot of evidence to support the benefits of music for dementia patients, there are still thousands of patients who do not receive such therapy. More needs to be done to integrate this type of therapy into patients lives to improve their condition along with reducing stress among caregivers too.
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