In this 2-11-21 interview with Dr. Nathaniel Chin of the Dementia Matters podcast, I share how I came to advocate for giving people with memory loss access to their favorite music. We discuss not only my experience bringing personal music to individuals living in care settings, but also the reasons why this is such a powerful way to alleviate isolation, depression, and anxiety—and how to help your loved one gain access to beloved music.… Read more
Even in the best of times, when caring for a loved one whose cognition is declining, whether due to Alzheimer’s or another type of dementia, families all struggle mightily. COVID-19 has only intensified that struggle—both to care for a loved one and to cope as a caregiver.
This past summer, as the pandemic spread worldwide, I had the privilege to teach caregivers and clinicians associated with the Lubuskie Alzheimer’s Association in Poland about how to leverage personal music to strengthen their ability to provide quality care.
After six months of being restricted to her room in assisted living, my mom said this: “It’s a deadly life. Nothing to look forward to except the same. I don’t see anybody.”
Her feelings are shared by many who live in elder care settings. The COVID-19 pandemic has radically constricted the worlds of elders who already find themselves confined by physical and cognitive conditions.
Music and face-to-face connection. Both offer hope. Both reduce stress. Both are underutilized in healthcare. We live for connection. It’s true that many of us have music and connection. However, as the pandemic has revealed, many do not.
Emerging from the novel coronavirus’s devastating impact have been many feel-good stories: balcony concerts, ICU patients set up with classical music, upbeat songs blaring in hospital corridors when a recovering COVID-19 patient is discharged, video calls for hospital patients and nursing home residents on lockdown.… Read more
