You don’t have to be a music therapist to notice how music has the ability to relieve many problems. Music therapy taps into the way rhythms and sounds somehow reach into a senior’s soul. In addition to having a lot of fun, your aging loved one with Alzheimer’s can enjoy these benefits of adding music therapy to his or her care plan.
Preserves Beautiful Memories
If you’ve ever heard a song from your past and felt transported to that time period, you can understand how this can help a senior with Alzheimer’s. Music therapy often involves playing specific songs from a person’s childhood or special moments as an adult. Hearing the song from his or her first wedding dance or one he or she sang to you when you were a child can help your loved one remember many things he or she might otherwise forget.
A professional caregiver with training and experience in cognitive stimulation can be a wonderful resource for seniors with Alzheimer’s. There are many reasons seniors might need assistance at home. Some may require regular mental stimulation due to an Alzheimer’s diagnosis, while others might only need part-time assistance with exercise and basic household tasks. Home Care Assistance is a leading Clearwater home care service provider. Families rely on our expertly trained caregivers to help their senior loved ones maintain a high quality of life.
Encourages Self-Expression
Alzheimer’s disease slowly impacts a person’s ability to recall words and put together coherent sentences. Being unable to speak clearly is frustrating for seniors with Alzheimer’s. With music, your loved one can express him or herself by singing the lyrics of a favorite song. If that’s too difficult, your loved one can move his or her body as a form of self-expression. Shaking a tambourine or beating out a rhythm on a drum is another way a music therapy session can help your loved one release pent-up emotions.
Promotes Spatial Awareness
Seniors with Alzheimer’s can also lose the ability to sense how their bodies fit into the world around them. Music therapy can incorporate physical movements such as hand claps and foot taps. As your loved one stomps to the beat or even performs dance moves, he or she will be strengthening the ability to maneuver his or her body. This has the added benefit of helping seniors avoid falls that can happen when they’re unable to sense where the ground is as they walk.
Helps with Daily Transitions
Brushing teeth, getting dressed, and going to bed are just a few everyday tasks that can cause seniors with Alzheimer’s disease to get overwhelmed. Those challenging moments are easier when you use songs to help your loved one sense when he or she is moving to a new activity. You can work with a music therapist to find songs that soothe your loved one and provide cues that a new part of the day is about to start. Playing or singing these songs can turn challenging moments into ones your loved one enjoys.
If you have a senior loved one who needs help maintaining a high quality of life while aging in place, reach out to Home Care Assistance, a leading provider of at-home care families can rely on. All of our caregivers are bonded, licensed, and insured, there are no hidden fees, and we never ask our clients to sign long-term contracts.
Fosters Positive Social Interactions
Socializing gets more difficult once seniors begin to face difficulty with remembering people and conveying their thoughts, which can lead to loneliness and depression. Music serves as an equalizer that allows seniors to participate in activities with their family members and friends. Listening to and creating music makes it possible for your loved one to enjoy positive interactions with caregivers and loved ones that elevate his or her mood.
Recovering from a stroke, managing the symptoms of Alzheimer’s, and a variety of other health-related situations can make it difficult for a senior to continue living at home without someone there to help. Clearwater, FL, live-in care professionals are trained to help seniors who need 24/7 assistance. With the help of a live-in caregiver, your elderly loved one can maintain a higher quality of life while aging in place. Home Care Assistance will work with you to customize a care plan that’s just right for your loved one’s needs. Call us today at (727) 330-7862 to discuss how we can give you the peace of mind that comes from knowing your loved one is being cared for with professionalism and compassion.