Essay On Dementia Music Therapy

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Imagine attempting simple everyday tasks and not being able to because of confusion or memory loss. Well, this is what it is like for some people with dementia. The severity of dementia ranges from person to person, but is there anything that can help? Music therapy, for one, can actually be tremendously helpful for those with dementia in more ways than one. Dementia is common in older adults and may develop gradually or even suddenly. Dementia is very common and is used as an umbrella term to describe a wide range of symptoms. It is also important to note that, “Dementia is more prevalent in older adults with the rate doubling about every 5 years after the age of 75 (Erber,2005; Papalia et al.,1996)” (Davis, Gfeller, & Thaut, 2008). Dementia …show more content…

To begin with, music can be therapeutic and relaxing. Those with dementia are often in hospitals or nursing homes and often go through the same routine everyday. Music can be a diversion to those struggles and repetitive routines that they have to face and instead help them focus on something that can bring happiness and enjoyment into their lives. Not to mention, “a number of studies have concluded that music interventions, such as music listening or group music therapy sessions, were associated with reduced agitation in persons with dementia (Groene, 1993; Clark et al., 1998; Gerdner, 2000; Sung et al., 2006; Janata, 2012)” (Johnson & Chow, 2015). Music therapy can be a way for these patients to release stress and anger that they otherwise may take out on their caregivers. Additionally, “sound and music have also been shown to achieve clear effects on vital parameters like blood pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate, and heart rate variability” (Raglio,Filippi, Bellandi, & Stramba-Badiale, 2014). Just like an upbeat song can increase blood pressure and increase the heart rate, a calm song and decrease blood pressure and decrease the heart rate. The examples given are just a short list of what music has to offer when it comes to those with dementia it also has the ability to meet social, psychological, and cognitive goals, as

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