4 • SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2019 • CAREGIVER
MYSTERY OFMUSIC
memories in those affected
by dementia and Alzheimer’s
is ongoing, but one
theory is that playing music
is stored as procedural
memory, often referred to
as muscle memory, and
that part of the brain is not
impacted as severely by the
disease.
Another is that music is
often tied to emotions, particularly
from one’s childhood
or youth, and hearing
music from those times has
the power to bring memories
to the surface.
“Typically, why we see a
lot of facilities that provide
care or engagement do
rhythm circles or something
to do with music is because
it invokes emotional memories,”
said Sara Murphy, vice
president of programs and
services for the Alzheimer’s
Association Greater Pennsylvania
Chapter. “Typically,
when someone hears a beat,
the brain is going to signal
to tap their feet or clap their
hands because that part of
the brain is typically not
impacted by the disease. It’s
still a bit of a mystery, but
an interesting concept.”
Music is also an effective
tool that caregivers can use
to help their loved ones in
certain situations.
According to the Mayo
Clinic, music can help relieve
stress, reduce anxiety
and agitation and reduce
depression. It can be used
to calm a loved one during
mealtime or a morning
hygiene routine, or to boost
their mood.
It’s helpful to eliminate
competing noises, such as
the television, when playing
music, and to minimize
commercials to help avoid
confusion.
But will just any old music
do?
“It’s important, I think,
to know what a loved one’s
preferences are and what
type of music they enjoy,”
Murphy said. “You don’t
want to just put on music
and assume they’ll like it
because it’s from the ’40s or
the ’50s. It’s important to
make sure that playlists are
songs they know and that
will invoke memories of
happier times in their lives.”
If caregivers are with a
spouse or someone with
whose musical tastes
they’re familiar, then finding
the right music to play
shouldn’t be difficult. In
fact, they probably already
own CDs or even records or
know the person’s favorite
radio station.
If not, it’s easier now than
ever to find almost limitless
access to music of all types
online.
There are a number of
streaming services that
allow either free access to
music or charge a nominal
monthly fee to listen to
music without commercial
interruption. They
are available via apps on
smartphones, on computers,
accessible through
voice-assisted devices such
as Amazon Alexa and some
smart TVs.
Spotify, for example, allows
users to browse for a
favorite artist, by category
or mood (for instance, users
could pick a decade, a genre
such as jazz or classical, or
a playlist based on holiday
music or relaxing music),
or start a personalized radio
station based on a favorite
artist.
Users can also create their
own playlists to listen to
over and over. There is a free
service. There’s also a premium
service that allows you
to get rid of commercials
and skip songs. That service
costs $9.99 per month (after
the first three months free,
to try it out).
Pandora also lets people
listen to albums and set up
their own personal radio
stations based on a favorite STOCK.ADOBE.COM