I just now looked over a bulletin on the Wall Street Journal website concerning the use of music therapy in dementia patients. The article indicated that one of the criticisms of iPods is that those who use them tend to evade communication with other folks and stay in an isolated world of their own. However, recent studies of stroke and dementia sufferers are revealing that iPods and other MP3 devices oftentimes have the contrary consequence.
By listening to some old well known songs, advanced dementia patients can reconnect with their memories and with one another in some surprising ways, especially for people with degenerative brain conditions. To cite an example, as stated in the Journal, listening to rap and reggae on a borrowed iPod each day helped a 28-year-old stroke sufferer to learn to walk and utilize his hands again.
In another case, a 52 year-old man who fell from a fourth-floor building site and suffered a crushed larynx became so captivated with music that he wrote 400 songs and produced four albums. An 85-year-old Alzheimer's patient in Florida listens to her favorite opera and Yiddish songs every day on an iPod with a home health aide or her daughter when she drops in. According to her daughter they listen for at least about half an hour a day and "It seems to touch something deep within her."
Caregivers have been aware for many years that music therapy in dementia patients can be very effectual. They have observed for decades that dementia patients can remember and sing songs for an extended time after they have stopped recognizing names and faces. Hospitals and aging care facilities have been using music as enjoyment for a long time, because it brings patients pleasure. Furthermore, beyond the entertainment value, there is important evidence that listening to music can also help stimulate apparently lost memories, and even help revive cognitive function in some cases. (via IPod Therapy for Alzheimer's Patients, WSJ.com)
As a senior citizen myself I am a big supporter of iPods and related devices for senior citizens. I myself have an iPhone, which is pretty much an iPod with a phone built into it. I am conscious that many of you will be skeptical because you think such devices are too confusing for seniors. However, as research as shown, using complicated devices can be quite effective in slowing memory loss due to aging. Now we discover that the musical functionality can be helpful even for those who have already experienced cognitive decline.
Well, okay, you may not want to actually leave an iPod in the hands of a person who is experiencing cognitive decline, but such a device can certainly be used, under supervision, to provide the kinds of music therapy in dementia patients set out in this article. Technology can be highly beneficial for those who are willing to be imaginative and thoughtful in applying its use. IPod music therapy in dementia patients is a great example.
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