By integrating the favourite music of people with dementia into daily care. How? By using The Musical Discovery List, the 15-25 ruleand The Care Orientated Playlists.
Why? Because with these your care activities are easier, your daily care becomes lighter and you provide feelings of homeliness and safety to people with dementia
Bonus: Reduced unrest during the day and at night, reduced urge to flee, breaking the cycle of repetitive questions.
Plus you also bring joy and happiness into the dementia world, where everything you do for someone with dementia comes back to you.
These 17 trillionĀ brain cells activate and connect the various brain parts. These brain connections alone are very important, because you could say we are our connections!
For everything we do, thousands ofĀ connections must be created in the brain. When as a result of dementia or some other limitation, the brain is not wiring and firing too well you aid the brain tremendously by listening to music.
You could say music is able to bypass a brain roadblock!
WithĀ The Musical Discovery listĀ you will be able to track down the favourite music of individuals with dementia.
Do not think you know the favourite music of your partner, parents or grandparents. Prepare to be surprised.
As a result of the dementia, someoneās musical taste may change. In the list you also find tips for music which may not have crossed your mind.
ā Classical ā Opera ā Operetta
ā Country ā Big Band ā Jazz
ā Religious ā Foreign music
ā Rock & Roll ā Pop ā Disco or Folk music
A liking for a
ā Singer ā Band ā Group
ā Orchestra ā Composer ā Artist
A favourite radio station?
ā Which radio station ?
ā To which radio show ?
ā Think about the āradio playsā from those days
Sing or sang in a choir? Which songs sang the choir ?
Are there recordings of this? If yes use these recordings or try to find choral music
which sounds like these. When someone with alzheimerās has sang in the past or
still sings, encourage to continue this or to pick it up again.
Music in the childhood home
ā What music was listened to ?
ā Which songs were sang ?
ā Did they play an instrument at home ?
Play or played in a band or orchestra ? What kind of music did they play ?
Are there recordings of this? If yes, use these recordings or try to find similar music.
While listening to that music try if the person wants to play that instrument again.
Has the person a preference for a musical instrument ?
Piano ā violin ā bagpipe ā accordion ā harmonica, etc ā¦.
Play or played a musical instrument ?
When someone with alzheimerās play or has played an instrument,Ā encourage this to continue or to pick it up again. Musical skills are very deeply rooted in the brain and remain available.
The first music you or the person has bought ?
Look between the old records, cassettes and cdās
Favourite movies or tv programs ?
Think about opening tunes and film music
A favourite comedian or humourist ?
FunnyĀ sketches make you laugh.
Sing or sang during work, washing the dishes or under the shower ?
If so, find the lyrics from those songs and sing along.
Dancing through the stars or taken dancing lessons in the youth years ?
Yes? Then search for dance music from that time and try while listening toĀ that music if the person likes to dance again. If so, you have an exercise that gives pleasure for two.
Joy the magic of theatres, musicals or concerts ?
If yes, try to find the associated music.
Songs in regional dialect, which the person knows or likes?
or songs belonging to the personās hometown ?
Are there songs belonging to special events ?
Religious music has often a special value for someone with alzheimerās
even if itās long ago that the person has gone to church.
ā Did the person go to church ?
ā To which religious community ?
ā Which music was played or sung there in the 15-25 period (see below)
Think about Christmas songs and other festival songs
These songs are deeply stored in the brain.
Because all the music we heard between the age of 15 and 25 is so deeply rooted in our brain that even dementia cannot destroy these musical memories.
Hearing songs within the 15-25 age window often brings back the joy and happiness of those teenage years.
Try it out for yourself: listen to a song from when you were between 15 and 25 and watch what happens.
That is what songs from the 15-25 age window are.Ā So find songs that were popular when you were between 15 and 25 or from the same time window of the person for whom you are finding music.
The songs could have been heard everywhere, at home, in school, on the radio, in church, at the pub, during dancing lessons, at work, on TV, in clubs, films, everywhere!
Note that these songs do not necessarily need to be someoneās favourite music! The songs could have been heard everywhere during their 15-25 age range.
On this page you can find inspirational playlists for music from the 15-25 age range. I do everything in my power to help you and make things easy. If you find there is something missing or if you have great tips, tweet or email me. Your ideas can be very valuable to others and can make someone very happy!
Have an open mind when you start yourĀ quest for finding the right tune that the person with dementia likes in their current state!
It is possible that someone who used to love classical music nowĀ sings along happily with old folk songs or feels comfortable listening to religious hymns.Ā Maybe it is not the music you expected or the music you would want them toĀ like.
The only thing that counts and works is whatĀ the individual with dementia likes.Ā The best way to find the correct tune is to sit down with the person with dementia and play music on your tablet or phone. The interaction tells you straight away whether the song is right or not.
Asking is not always the best way to find the proper music. On the pageĀ Ā finding the right tuneĀ you find tips for finding the right music in an easier and more fun way. You can also find tips about what to do whenĀ communication is no longer possible.
DivideĀ the music you have collected into several playlists linkedĀ to different parts of the day and care activities.
You managed to find the musicĀ with the help of the Music Discovery List and the 15-25 rule.
Let us startĀ our musical day early in the morning with a wake-up call. Remember, the person with dementia is your care guide.
We all have woken up in a strange bed and for a split second we did not know where we were. But the second after that you knew you were in Spain, Greece or staying at Aunt Bettieās.
But for people with dementia the next second does not have to come. What does come up are questions and feelings of fear. Where am I?
What I am doing here? This could lead to screaming, shouting or getting out of bed in search for answers.
But when someone with dementia wakes up with their own favourite music which creates feelings of home and safety, there is no need for unrest, shouting or getting out of bed.
Starting with someoneās personal Wake-Up List means less unrest and less problematic behaviour in the morning.
The morning ritual is the most stressful part of the day for people with dementia. Understandably, nobody feels at ease being stripped and washed by a stranger.
Imagine a stranger entering the room, taking you out of bed and starting to undress you. Wouldnāt you become angry and maybe even violent either? This is how someone with dementia might feel as well.
What can you do?Ā To avoid violence, stress and make the morning ritual easier for yourself and for the person with dementia:
ā Centering before entering ā Balancing your emotions (see Tool 1)
ā Approach the indvidual with respect and with a smile from the heart (see Tool 1)
ā Use the personal shower music which activates your 17 trillion care helpers
Tested & Proven
It has been tested and proven that when people with dementia hear music during care tasks, they intuitively feel what their care worker wants or intends to achieve. With a centering-based approach to music, the entire morning ritual is easier for you and more pleasant for people with dementia.
Bonus benefit:Ā No stress during the morning ritual also causes less unrest and less problematic behaviour during the day.
Singing yourself?Ā Of course you can also sing yourself, which is never a bad thing. I have always sung with my mother during the morning care and we had a lot of fun, singing, washing, laughing. Just give it a try, I am sure it will light up your day, as it did mine.
Hard to tell, as every person is unique, as is every care situation. Only through trial and error can you determine whether music is a helpful tool during meals.
In case it turns out that music is a helpful tool during meals please use it. For in a care homeĀ create a mixed playlist from the 15-25 age range of the current residents.
It would be nice to add oneĀ favourite song from each resident to your mixed playlist. Then they all have their own aha moment during meals.
When people with dementia are regularly physically active, daily care activities become lighter, because physical exercise contributes to obtaining and maintaining better mobility.
Also, everybody has, consciously or unconsciously a longing for physical movement. Therefore, being sedentary the entire day may cause unrest and problematic behaviour. You can avoid this by doing regular exercises with people with dementia.
Bonus benefit:Ā Easing the nightshift workload, as people sleep better after physical activities.
How do you get people with dementia to exercise?Ā With rhythmic music, as rhythmic music automatically sets our body in motion. Think how often you tap your fingers to the rhythm of the music without realising it.
It would be great if the exercise music is from the personal 15-25 age window and contains singalongs. InĀ this way, exercising becomes a fun activity that people look forward to.
Group exercise music: Compile rhythmic music from the 15-25 age range of all group members and add this to your group list.
This is first-aid music when an individual with dementia is angry, violent, sad or becomes restless in the afternoon,
It is also a great playlist to use by visitors for making contact or making conversation.
As a result, visits become more pleasant, which may lead to additional visits, thus contributing to a reduction of the nursing workload.
Fill this playlist with mixed music from the 15-25 age range and with personal favourites. You can compile various feel-good playlists, one which is upbeat, one for making contact and conversation and one for creating peace of mind.
Tip from Rip:Ā Waltzing music often has a soothing effect on people with dementia.
With kind permission of theĀ artist Inge Look find more uplifting cards on ingelook.com
Turn on the sleeping music before startimg to undress, as undressing and lying in bed will be easier in a soothing atmosphere and you know the music activates the 17 trillion helper cells in the brain!
Listening to yourĀ favourite sleeping music is a wonderful way to fall asleep. But ābedtime musicā is not only important for putting people to bed and for falling asleep.
Music is also a care aid for the nightshift, because when an individual with dementia wakes up at night, not knowing where they are, fear and questions may arise.
Where am I? What I am doing here? Please help me! This could lead to screaming, shouting or getting out of bed in search for answers and help.
But when a person with dementia wakes up in the middle of the night and their favourite music is softly playing, providing feelings of safety and homeliness, there is no need for fear, shouting or getting out of bed.
There is one more reason for using music at night. A brain with dementia is increasingly less well-equipped to handle a situation where there are absolutely no stimuli in a room.
So when everything is standing still and there is no sound in a room, a brain with dementia cannot cope with that anymore. At that moment, the individual with dementia must create stimuli by themselves. This could be murmuring, fidgeting, calling, shouting or getting out of bed in search of stimuli.
But when there is music playing at night, providing a tender stimulus, there is no need for shouting or getting out of bed. Thus, at night and in the dementia fog, music is literally a lighthouse for people with dementia, creating a stimulus and a shelter.
When more people sleeping in one room use a Musical PillowĀ This is a normal pillow with a little speaker inside and with a connection to an MP3 player.
With a Musical Pillow only the person lying on the pillow hears the music and does not bother other residents. Google āMusical Pillowā and you will find all kinds of Musical Pillows.
What is good ābedtime musicā? All sorts of music that provide rest, peace and tranquillity to someone with dementia.
This could also be sounds of nature, the sound of a driving train or a burning campfire. Let the person with dementia be your āsound guideā.
That is why you find playlists with all kinds of sounds throughout this website. On YouTube you can find more sounds than you can imagine.
The brain functions responsible for recognizing and enjoying music will not be affected by the dementia. Thus, people with dementia can find peace and pleasure through music until the very end.
That is why music is very important in palliative care as well, as music is able to bring comfort, consolation and solace to a dying person.
Twice I was with my mother with Alzheimerās in a hospital. During those nights, I sat in a comfortable chair in front of my motherās bed. On the nightstand, my motherās ābedtime musicā was softly playing.
During those nights my mother often woke up, sat up halfway and started looking around. Then my mother focused in the direction where the music came from.
For a while she listened to the music, then slowly she laid her head back on the pillow and fell asleep again. My mother searched for the music, found the music and felt safe.
That is why music is a care aid, a provider of wellbeing and a help engine for the brain.Ā Let us bring music into the dementia nights.
Let us make dementia care easier for caregivers and, most of all, let us provide and create a shelter for anyone lost in the dementia fog.
Oliver Sacksās compassionate, compelling tales of people struggling to adapt to different neurological conditions have fundamentally changed the way we think of our own brains, and of the human experience.
Music is irresistible, haunting, and unforgettable, in Musicophilia, Oliver Sacks tells us why. For moreĀ fabulous books look on the site of Oliver Sacks
Sacks spins one fascinating tale after another to show what happens when music and the brain mix it up ā Newsweek
Oliver Sacks turns his formidable attention to music and the brain. He doesnāt stint on the science, but the underlying authority of Musicophilia lies in the warmth and easy command of the authorās voice ā Los Angeles Times
Rock stars Jarvis Cocker and Richard Hawley were asked to participate in a new experiment to reveal the difference in the brain when two people perform music together as opposed to solo.
Thereās new evidence that music can actually change the physical structure of the brain ā a fact that has critical implications for both education and medicine.
We meet singing cavemen and a dancing bird. We hear the sound of a 3,500-year-old flute and what an intrauterine microphone picks up from the world outside the womb (more than you might think).
We learn that music releases dopamine, drugs, sex & rock ānā roll, right there in the brain.
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