Healing Power of Music for Alzheimers Patients

 Healing Power of Music for Alzheimers Patients

People perceive music differently, and their reactions to it vary. Music can be used to boost mood; thus, it does the same for individuals with Alzheimer’s disease. With the advancement in age, the elderly community grows, and unfortunately, the number of individuals who have Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia increases as well. According to Geist (2015), as of 2015, 5 million people and more have Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia, affecting their relatives due to their bodies and minds effects. Initially, drugs were considered the most appropriate treatment for Alzheimer’s Disease, but recent studies indicate music is a better resort with more significant benefits.

Music poses numerous benefits to individuals who have Alzheimer’s Disease. Music has benefits such as boosting moods, cognitive skills, and memory, as well as reducing the use of drugs. When an ailing individual comes across music, the first result is boosting their mood. The second result is boosting their cognitive skills, which are affected by Alzheimer’s Disease; music enables them to sing along to songs they previously knew (Geist, 2015). Thirdly, music boosts their memory; according to El Haj et al. (2015), when ailing individuals select their music, they restore some of their memories that may be linked to their relatives. The consequence of the use of music is music therapy with reduced medication intake.

As a social worker, coming in contact with members of the elderly community is unavoidable. Further, finding an elderly individual with Alzheimer’s Disease is a possibility, and knowledge of music therapy is significant while interacting with them. The individual might be agitated, and as a social worker, I could use music to boost their mood and help them overcome and address how they are feeling for easy interaction.

Consistently, music therapy is essential while interacting with the elderly suffering from Alzheimer’s Disease. Knowing music therapy techniques is essential for social workers because it will help them interact better with these individuals while making them feel better about themselves without having to turn to multiple medications.

References

El Haj, M., Antoine, P., Nandrino, J., Gély-Nargeot, M., & Raffard, S. (2015). Self-defining memories during exposure to music in Alzheimer’s disease. International Psychogeriatrics, 27(10), 1719-1730. https://doi.org/10.1017/s1041610215000812

Geist, M. (2015). Music Therapy for Dementia, Alzheimer’s Patients. AARP. Retrieved 8 February 2022, from https://www.aarp.org/health/brain-health/info-2015/music-therapy-for-alzheimers.html.

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Please read the following article and watch the video within the article about the healing power of music for Alzheimer’s patients.

Healing Power of Music for Alzheimers Patients

https://www.aarp.org/health/brain-health/info-2015/music-therapy-for-alzheimers.html

After reviewing the video and article, please consider the following:
*What are your thoughts on the benefits of music for individuals with Alzheimer’s Disease?
*How could you apply this information in your own Social Work practice?
*Please share any other thoughts.