Do you know the favorite music of the person who has Dementia? You should! Playing and singing music from their generation will help calm, connect and communicate. When a person is feeling anxious, try playing their favorite music. It might be just what they need to reminisce of happier days.
Get to know the genre of the big band era because that is the music, they might have danced too on a Saturday night! They might even want to do a little swing dancing with you.
I knew a woman who didn’t always want to eat dinner. But when we played Hank Williams Sr. music, she danced a little in her chair and then would happily eat.
If a person is a huge fan of Elvis and you are trying to walk with them to the restroom, I encourage you to pull an Elvis song out of your tool box and start singing “All shook up”. How fun is to now have the person singing with you and that walk down the hallway?
I can almost guarantee, if you sing “Jesus Loves me”, others will join in. For a person who’s in the late stages of the disease, watch their lips and the calm in their eyes; they’re singing along too.
Music triggers good feelings and the results are amazing. Happy singing!