Cavendish Homecare discuss the power of music for people living with dementia in boosting brain activity, and how personalised playlists can have a range of cognitive and emotional benefits
Music can be a powerful tool for people living with dementia, helping them to connect with their memories and emotions, and improving their overall wellbeing. It can stimulate cognitive function, evoke positive emotions, and promote physical activity and social interactions.
Five reasons why music boosts brain activity
- Music can evoke emotion even in individuals with advanced dementia. By incorporating music into everyday activities, individuals with dementia can establish a rhythm that can aid in recalling memories associated with those activities. This can lead to improved cognitive abilities over time.
- Musical aptitude and appreciation are two of the last remaining abilities in people living with dementia. As these two abilities remain long after other abilities have passed, music is an excellent way to go beyond the disease and reach the person living with dementia.
- Music has the potential to foster emotional and physical closeness between individuals with dementia and their loved ones. As dementia progresses, loved ones may struggle to express their emotions or connect with their caregivers. However, through music, even individuals who are still ambulatory can engage in dancing with their loved ones, leading to hugs, kisses, and physical touch which can create a sense of security and evoke cherished memories.
- Singing is particularly engaging as it activates the left side of the brain while listening to music stimulates activity in the right. As a result, music engages a large portion of the brain and can serve as a powerful exercise for cognitive function in individuals with dementia.
- Music can positively impact mood, help manage stress and promote positive interactions. Since music requires little to no mental processing, singing and listening to music can be enjoyable and therapeutic activities for individuals with dementia.
The benefits of a personal playlist
Listening to music can significantly enhance the quality of life for individuals living with dementia. The music they listen to could range from an old favourite song that reminds them of a special moment, to lullabies from childhood.
Scientific research has confirmed that listening to a personalised playlist can lead to numerous psychological benefits for individuals with dementia. Specifically, it can:
- Reduce anxiety
- Help maintain speech and language
- Improve mood
- Make challenging tasks more manageable
- Elicit memories and emotions that can help families and carers connect
Playlist for Life
Playlist for Life harnesses the powerful effects of personal music to assist anyone living with dementia as well as their families and carers. By sharing their favourite songs and cherished memories, individuals with dementia can connect with their loved ones in a meaningful way.
Playlist for Life continues to train people to become music detectives, empowering them to support more individuals in creating and using personalised playlists. This effort has included Alzheimer’s Society dementia advisers, among many others. Playlist for Life has encouraged family members to send music players loaded with personal playlists to their loved ones who were under lockdown in the past. This has helped to lift their mood and provide a sense of connection and comfort during a challenging time when physical contact was not possible.
How can Cavendish Homecare help?
At Cavendish Homecare we help support you and your loved ones with our expertise in delivering dementia care at home. We understand that living with dementia can have a significant emotional, social, and psychological effect on both the person and their loved ones. We believe that enabling people to remain in their own homes is beneficial to keeping them in a familiar environment and reducing stressful situations that may arise in other settings.
If you would like to enquire about our Dementia Care, contact us at, 0203 0085210 or email us at info@cavendishhomecare.com.
