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Discuss the effects of music therapy in people with dementia
Discuss the effects of music therapy in people with dementia
Discuss the effects of music therapy in people with dementia
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It is an inevitable fact that the twenty-first century will be impacted by the largest geriatric population of any century. In 2015, the World Health Organization announced that currently 47.5 million people on earth are living with dementia and approximately 7.7 new cases are surfacing every year (WHO, 2015). The U.S.public health system is at a point where it will have to focus its efforts on an entirely different approach to accommodate the growing elderly population that live with dementia. “Dementia is a neurocognitive disorder caused by various brain illnesses that affect perception, cognition and motor function” (Ridder & Gummesen, 2015). Dementia directly affects quality of life (QOL) of the elderly, and it can impair “participation, …show more content…
Humans by nature are also social beings; therefore, applying the use of music therapy in a group setting can help with these aspects of QOL. In the study written by Gold, the author observed the influences of music therapy applied in a group setting to patients with severe dementia (Gold, 2014). On a weekly basis, four to eight dementia patients interacted with a music therapist for a music therapy session. In a circle, the patients were given various percussion instruments to drum. The purpose of the session was to generate an environment that not only produced creative music, but also an environment for the patients to connect with other patients. Despite the unsureness, the observations showed that there was a higher positive behavioral output during music therapy Thursdays versus standard care days with no music therapy sessions. The notes written by the medical staff also indicated that eight of the nine patients were less agitated, easier to interact with, and less of a burden when music therapy sessions had taken place at the beginning of the day. All in all, the end results showed that music therapy significantly generated a more positive atmosphere, thus increasing social interaction and expressive engagement for the dementia patients.
From an individual standpoint, music therapy can be more effective when the interaction
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In 2011, Professors Choi and Hong used songwriting activities to trigger cognitive function in dementia patients (Hong & Choi, 2011). A total of 30 patients were divided into a free activity group (control group) or songwriting group (experimental group) for 16 weeks. The authors used three stages to apply the songwriting activity: (1) finding preferred songs or genre of music, (2) rewriting the lyrics to a song, and (3) performing the rewritten songs. The MMSE-K (Mini-Mental State Examination-Korea) found that cognitive function improved by 26% in the songwriting group (experimental group). Overall, the areas that had improved were orientation, memory attention and calculation, language, and comprehension and
Dementia is common among a large population of elderly people. The disease affects not only the individual diagnosed, but also the caregivers that work towards making their life comfortable in the end. Understanding and learning about the disease is crucial in helping those that experience or live with someone who has dementia. The services and support that are currently in affect for elderly people with dementia and the caregivers is poor, and ineffective because of the lack of research and information on the topic.
Songwriting/Lyric convergence – Another form of music therapy is songwriting and lyric convergence. It helps the creative thought process, enables individuals to sort their emotions, and gives them the ability to communicate grief or joy, and reminiscence on memories. Music therapists use songwriting to assess mental health, and to assist the patient by enhancing the quality of their life. Although some patients are confident writing original songs, there are several other songwriting techniques. Sometimes music therapists and their patients will sing well known songs, substituting individual words or phrases with an appropriate alternative. Sometimes using an existing melody and replacing the original lyrics with inventive words generates parodies of songs. Goodbye songs are an uplifting tactic to close a music therapy session. It gives the patient an opportunity to write about medical milestones and memories.
People with dementia may be subject to mistreatment and abuse in the community or in care homes and hospitals. Those with dementia can be more vulnerable to abuse as they may find it difficult to discuss their feelings and experiences or remember what happened to them. Dementia can also make it harder to detect abuse.
The human brain is extraordinary organ. It stores our memories, vision, hearing, speech, and capable of executing executive higher reasoning and functions setting us apart from animals. Today we know more about the human brain because of medical advances and the development of technology. These brain disorders have been studied for years and many others would classify dementia as a mental illness because it causes cognitive impairments. The following paragraphs will discuss what dementia is, what the types of dementia are, perspectives of patients with dementia as well as the perspective of a caregiver to a dementia patient.
Music has been used to aid in the healing process since Florence Nightingale first noticed its effect on her patients (Murrock & Higgins, 2009). Since then we have moved forward with the notion that music can be encouraging both for recovery and for treatment (Murrock & Higgins, 2009). There is evidence that music can promote psychological well-being and encourage movement (Dwyer, 1995; Macone, Baldari, Zelli & Guidetti, 2006). Music can also be used as a therapeutic route for expression, movement, and conceptualization (O’Callaghan, Barry, & Thompson, 2010). The aging population seems to benefit from music making as well, both in regards to those with dementia and those without dementia (Cevasco, 2010; Creech, Hallam, Varvarigou, McQueen & Gaunt, 2013). Music can also be self-administered, which allows it to be one of the more safe prescriptions for healing (Murrock & Higgins, 2009). Therefore we understand that music is one of the most useful therapies we have access to, and should not be afraid to use it in a broader setting as nurses.
Witzke J. How sweet the sound: research evidence for the use of music in Alzheimer's dementia. Journal of gerontological nursing. 2008;34:45.
It is estimated more than 5.3 million people have Alzheimer’s disease (AD). AD is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States, with a new case of AD being diagnosed every 70 seconds. For women living over the age of 55 the risk of developing AD is 17%. For men, at the same age, the risk is slightly lowered at 9% (LeMone, Burke & Bauldoff, 2011, p.1510). Due to these staggering statics, AD continues to be an area of great interest and concern for the medical community. Although the cause of AD is unknown and there is currently no cure, many advances have been made in the treatment of AD. Treatments for AD are now expanding out from simply providing traditional pharmacological interventions to incorporating alternative treatments as well. Music therapy is one of the alternative treatments now being implemented for individuals suffering from AD. This research paper will discuss what Alzheimer’s disease is, what music therapy is and how music therapy is implemented in the treatment of AD, as well as the benefits and barriers of music therapy in AD patients
Worldwide, 35.6 million people have dementia and there are 7.7 million new cases every year (WHO 2012). There are ma...
Johnson, J. K., & Chow, M. L. (2015). Hearing and music in dementia. Handbook of Clinical
Nowadays, over 5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease (Alzheimer’s Association, 2013). This statistic is staggering, and unless a prevention or cure is found, it’s predicted that 16 million of Americans will have Alzheimer’s disease by 2050 (Alzheimer’s Association, 2007). Alzheimer’s disease can be either sporadic or familial. Sporadic Alzheimer’s disease can affect adults at any age, but usually after age 65. Familial Alzheimer’s disease is a rare genetic condition where one of several genes is mutated and finally lead to Alzheimer’s disease, usually in their 40’s or 50’s. (Fight Alzheimer’s Save Australia, 2010) Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia. Alzheimer’s disease is an irreversible, (Sam Fazio, 2008), degenerative brain disease that slowly destroys brain cells, resulting in impairment of cognitive function and eventually even the ability to perform the simplest tasks of daily life.( Alzheimer’s Association, 2014) Unfortunately, Alzheimer’s disease has no current cure, but treatments for symptoms are available and research continues. For instance, Rivastigmine is a parasympathomimetic or cholinergic agent for the treatment of mild to moderate dementia of Alzheimer’s disease. The drug can be administered orally or via a transdermal patch and is normally sold under the trade name Exelon. (Wikipedia, 2014) ; (AMH,2013)
Music, whether it be playing on instruments or singing a song, has a very powerful way of reaching down into the human soul and inspiring minds. Some may say that music is a common language spoken by all people. For students with mental disabilities, music therapy is a way to boost the abilities that they lack. It has been proven that music therapy is effective for children with varying disabilities such as Down syndrome, autism, moderate mental retardation, cerebral palsy, and traumatic brain injury. Music therapy promotes development of communication skills motor skills, academic skills, and social skills in exceptional adolescents. All of which are essential life skills in which special needs students can use to lead an independent life,
Music's effect on on Alzheimer's and dementia patients is just one of the many ways music can positively benefit the human brain.
Whether a stately hymn issuing from a church organ or a popular song from their childhood, music is tightly intertwined not only with one’s identity but with their entire life. One of the major problems plaguing people with dementia is not knowing who or where they are. As one can imagine, the stress that this causes often leads to increased agitation, which in turn can lead to various behavioral problems. Not only do the connections made by music provide a sense of comfort and inner peace to the patient, but the complex nature of the connections often allows precious memories to be regained. (source A) Which can give them a better quality of life in the time they have
Music has proven itself to be a wonderful tool in the arena of improving the symptoms of patients with Alzheimer’s disease. Music has the power to “shift mood, manage stress-induced agitation, stimulate positive interactions, facilitate cognitive function, and coordinate motor movements” (Clair). With all of these positive benefits, music is undeniably advantageous. Music has these benefits because the rhythmic responses it creates require little to no cognitive processing and the ability to engage in music is prev...
Jonas-Simpson, C., & Mitchell, G. J. (2005). Giving voice to expressions of quality of life for persons living with dementia through story, music, and art. Alzheimer's Care Quarterly, 6(1), 52-61.