Senior Retirement Residence Kansas City Music Therapy Improves Resident’s Quality of Life
A senior retirement residence Kansas City that implements music therapy as a part of the care of senior adults is beneficial in many ways. The clinical use of music with elderly persons with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia’s, even in the very late stages of the disease, can be used to enhance physical, mental, social and emotional function. The sensory and intellectual stimulation of music has been shown to help maintain a person’s quality of life.
Music therapy is used for people of all ages, but it may be the only way for someone with dementia to communicate by stimulating their brain and awakening their interest and helping them to stay connected. By evoking positive emotional responses, music as therapy helps seniors stay engaged and mentally active – in some individuals who are more mobile it also inspires dancing, which is a great physical activity.
Numerous studies have found that pain, grief, and a wide variety of other problems can be effectively treated with music.
According to an article by Mary Ellen Geist, in the online publication AARP Bulletin, music therapy is often used in memory care treatment to slow the decline of speech skills in people with dementia. Researchers at Stanford University, in a study on the effects of music therapy on older adults, concluded that “Rhythmic music may change brain function and treat a range of neurological conditions, including attention deficit disorder and depression.”
Wired for Sound, an article by Oliver Sacks, MD, a noted neurologist and author, states that “….musical activity involves many parts of the brain (emotional, motor, and cognitive areas), even more than we use for our other great human achievement, language. This is why it can be such an effective way to remember or to learn.”
Most of us benefit from music – it makes us feel happy and evokes fond memories. In a senior retirement residence Kansas City, music therapy has the same benefits, in addition to helping aging adults to deal with age-related physical, emotional and mental problems.
Some of the benefits of music therapy for aging adults are:
- Enhances emotional well-being
- Improves speech and communication
- Assists with physical rehabilitation
- Reduces stress and anxiety
- Increases social activity
- Inspires physical activity
- Aids memory recall
- Enhances creativity
Ultimately, the calming effect of music therapy can calm a person’s heart rate and lower their blood pressure. A senior retirement residence that incorporates music into their residents’ life has many invaluable benefits.
As the population of elderly people increases, healthcare providers of dementia care are constantly seeking out ways to foster forgotten memories in their patients. There is much written about the benefits of music to enlighten people’s moods and increase their level of enjoyment. The effectiveness of state-of-the-art music therapy in physical rehabilitation and Alzheimer’s disease, when applied to the treatment and care of persons in a senior retirement residence, has been documented as an effective and invaluable treatment modality.
At Clover Care Home, our residents are our priority receiving professional person-centered care. We strive to ensure that all of their needs are being met – physically, mentally and emotionally. We encourage independence encourage them to participate in all the opportunities at our senior retirement residence Kansas City, keeping them healthy and happy.
We are here to answer your questions and discuss how we can best serve you or your family member. If you would like to schedule a tour of our outstanding senior retirement residence that serves the Kansas City metropolitan area, click HERE.
