Listening to music does more than provide enjoyment. The purposeful activity can also bring back memories and emotions for older adults with Alzheimer’s. The ability to listen to music and repeat lyrics they hear are some of the most reliable cognitive skills in seniors with this disease. Learn how music can help your aging loved one with Alzheimer’s disease.
Leads to Better Communication
Seniors with Alzheimer’s often have difficulty putting words together to form proper sentences. As the disease progresses, your parent may have difficulty comprehending others, which may be frustrating and cause behavioral issues. However, listening to music might calm your loved one’s nerves and provide another way to communicate. Music allows seniors with Alzheimer’s to share their intentions, emotions, and desires without spoken language. The ability to use music to interact with others is vital to mental health when traditional communication methods are negatively affected by Alzheimer’s disease.
For reliable Alzheimer’s care, Huntsville families can turn to Home Care Assistance. We are a leading provider of professional memory care designed to help seniors maintain a higher quality of life. In addition to Alzheimer’s care, we also provide comprehensive dementia, Parkinson’s, and stroke care. From revolutionary care programs to compassionate and dedicated caregivers, we can meet all of your Alzheimer’s care needs.
Enhances Focus
Concentration problems are common in Alzheimer’s, making it challenging for older adults to complete many of their daily tasks. While the issues vary from person to person, the focusing abilities of almost all seniors are impacted at some point. Music can activate both sides of the brain at the same time. The activation of these hemispheres can maximize concentration skills as well as memory and learning abilities. The tunes can keep your loved one awake and alert because music increases the release of dopamine, which is a chemical that can increase attention span.
Professional caregivers with training and experience in cognitive stimulation can be a wonderful resource for seniors with Alzheimer’s. If your senior loved one has been diagnosed with a serious condition and needs help with tasks like meal prep, transportation, bathing, and grooming, reach out to Home Care Assistance, a leading provider of elderly home care Huntsville, AL, families can trust. We also offer comprehensive care for seniors with dementia, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s.
Reduces Stress
The emotional and behavioral benefits music provides to seniors with Alzheimer’s are some of the top reasons to add music therapy to your loved one’s weekly activities. The tempos of the songs, particularly slower tunes, can calm the mind and relax muscles throughout the body, including the brain. As a result, less cortisol is produced, and stress levels may reduce significantly. When stress isn’t managed correctly, it can cause Alzheimer’s to progress at a rapid rate. Too much anxiety can also increase the risk of depression. However, listening to music can soothe the mind and lower the risk of combative behavior.
Triggers Memories
While your parent may not remember people or familiar places, he or she might remember the words of classic songs. Music memory is often preserved in individuals with Alzheimer’s because the connections in the brain related to musical memory are somewhat undamaged. When listening to music, your loved one can connect the words and sounds with things from the past, especially happy memories. Encourage your loved one to listen to music a few times each week, play musical instruments, or join a senior-friendly music group that allows him or her to interact with others.
Caring for a senior loved one can be challenging for families who don’t have expertise or professional training in home care, but this challenge doesn’t have to be faced alone. Family caregivers can turn to Home Care Assistance for the help they need. We provide high-quality live-in and respite care as well as comprehensive Alzheimer’s, dementia, stroke, and Parkinson’s care. Trust Home Care Assistance to provide high-quality compassionate, professional care for your loved one. If your loved one needs help with the challenges of aging, call one of our compassionate Care Managers today at (256) 716-9940.