Senior Living Facilities Tap Into the Power of Music
While studying for her degree in music therapy, and in the years since becoming a licensed music therapist, Katherine McGrath has learned something: “No matter what someone is going through or has gone through, there’s a song for that.”
Katherine is the Lifestyle Coordinator for Clark Meadows, Thompson’s assisted living community in Canandaigua. Whether it’s a solemn commemoration of Veterans Day, an upbeat visit from a local musician, or a casual group sing-along, she knows the music can make a deep connection within those on the receiving end. This is especially meaningful, she finds, with older adults.
“When it comes down to it, no matter how old someone is or what experiences they’ve gone through, it’s all about their life story and what matters most to them. Music has the beautiful ability to pull that out of all of us,” she said.
Katherine, who offers educational programs about music history for residents of both Clark Meadows and the adjacent independent living community of Ferris Hills at West Lake, recently hosted a program called “How Music Shapes the Brain: Exploring the Unique Power of Music to Promote Wellness and Healthy Aging.”
In addition to learning about the roles of different parts of the brain including the hippocampus and the amygdala, residents talked about how music plays a part in many of our core memories growing up. They agreed that hearing a certain song can sometimes evoke vivid memories of a particular experience.
During the program, Katherine also touched upon the power of music when it comes to people with Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia. Many recalled seeing clips of country singer Glen Campbell, near the end of his six-year battle with Alzheimer and unable to remember the lyrics, holding a guitar and playing a tune flawlessly. Some had also seen a similar video of a former ballerina who – upon hearing Tchaikovsky’s “Swan Lake” – was no longer slumped over in her wheelchair but was fully alert and moving her arms just as she did many years ago.
“Why is it, those miracle moments? Someone may not remember their own name but can remember all the words to ‘How Much is that Doggie in the Window?’” Katherine said.
Recreation Therapy Department Manager Tawny Kelledy said her team creates personalized playlists to lift individual residents’ spirits and brings in a number of performers to get large groups of people tapping their toes and clapping along.
Many times Tawny and her team have witnessed moments like the ones involving Campbell and the former ballerina.
“We will have people with dementia who rarely speak, and then they’ll hear a certain song and they are singing right along. They know every word,” she said. “It’s amazing and it always brings us to tears!”