How Music Can Help with Alzheimer’s
Recently, a video of a man and his father singing in the car went viral; the father had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s three years prior to the video yet slipped right back into his entertainer days when his favourite song came on.
Bring Back Memories – This is one example and there are many other stories of Alzheimer patients recalling every last word of their favourite songs. The music brought back emotion and allowed them to feel alive in a world where they may often feel out of the loop.
Brain Activity – As soon as we sing along to music, the brain stimulates and gets vital exercise. According to reports, simple stimulation like this can help to develop coping mechanisms.
Physical Activity – Dancing to music, there are numerous benefits to dancing along to music because it allows us to express ourselves as well as creating connections between both the physical and the emotional.
Express Emotions – Although we touched on it previously, dancing and singing along to music is a great way to express emotion. When others join in and this creates a connection; for Alzheimer’s sufferers, this can be a great activity because Alzheimer is known to cause feelings of isolation.
Singing for the Brain
As a result of these known benefits, the Alzheimer’s Society in the UK has set up a program called ‘Singing for the Brain’, Singing for the Brain recognises all the benefits we have outlined and now promotes the uses of singing to bring people together in a friendly and stimulating social environment.
According to the Alzheimer’s Society in the UK ‘Singing is not only an enjoyable activity, it can also provide a way for people with dementia, along with their carers, to express themselves and socialise with others in a fun and supportive group.’
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We offer professional Dementia & Alzheimer’s homecare for people living with these conditions and their loved ones. We are here to answer any questions you have about homecare for you or your loved one, call us on 01 296 5304