If you have 5 mins today, you’ve got to watch this video on music, memory and dementia that is being carried out in the Redleaf manor aged care home in New South Wales, Australia. The video (ABC iview-catalyst) shares with viewers insight into this new programme on personlised playlist that can greatly improve the quality of life and well-being of the individual.
The programme helps people to
– reconnect with family
– brings people out of their shell
– brings out positive emotions
Music should be accessible in all care facilities, and prescribed music can help to elevate agitation and reduce the use of antipsychotics (medications)in a study by Standford University.
Music is the only stimulus that activates a range of centres in the brain, aside from memories (temporal lobe and amygdala), music also touches on the movement centres and emotional. This gives answers to the reactions that occur when a person with dementia listens to music despite the progressive deterioration of the brain.
Looking back at our infants, how many of us have played music or sang our babies to sleep? In prelinguistic stages, the environment consists of music and sounds of happiness or sadness or fear. Babies react to the powerful effect of music.
Music is a powerful medium that it is pivotal to our brain’s health.
You can watch the 30min episode here but it’s only available for people living in Australia
http://iview.abc.net.au/programs/catalyst/SC1502H006S00, for those living outside of Australia you can try this link http://www.abc.net.au/catalyst/stories/4421003.htm .
Designing for Aged Care 