Senior care is something everyone needs to care more about for the simple reason that we’ll all eventually benefit from it. Yet, so many people choose to abandon their parents to fend for themselves when they’re most vulnerable.
Home care is one of the few solutions that seniors look fondly on, but even in home care, there’s much that can be improved. One beautiful element that many seniors enjoy is music therapy. According to a poll by the University of Michigan on healthy aging, 60% of participants claimed music helped energize them. Likewise, 65% said it helped their mental health and mood.
In this article, let’s examine what music therapy is and its role in elder care.
Why is Music Therapy So Powerful?
One of the biggest misconceptions that people have about music therapy is that it’s ‘just listening to music,’ however, it’s so much more. Music therapists use music to activate brain regions that are tied to episodic memory and even identity. These are aspects that remain intact, even in people who suffer from Alzheimer's or dementia.
These days, many senior care services are starting to incorporate music therapy into their operations with great effect. This is potentially due to increasing awareness in cities like Harrisburg, Philadelphia, and Allentown, PA. Music therapists in the state are pushing for official recognition. Senate Bill 579 was recently presented and aims to establish a standardized framework for licensing music therapists in the state.
Essentially, everyone is beginning to recognize the healing potential that is yet to be fully tapped. As AmeriBest Home Care notes, music, in addition to other activities, also has the power to help promote cognitive engagement and reduce feelings of loneliness. When seniors and caregivers both engage in the therapy, for instance, singing together, it also helps remove any dynamic between caregiver and patient.
It Helps Seniors Get Out of Their Shells Even at Home
Social connection is critical for people of any age, but for seniors who are home-bound, there are few opportunities. As a result, many seniors voluntarily withdraw and refuse to meet people. However, with music therapy being seen as a part of their treatment, it becomes easier to bring life and joy into the home.
Music therapy helps with getting a foot in the door, and with a good therapist, you’ll be surprised to see how fast barriers come down. You may have noticed how some seniors tend to reduce eye contact and lose interest in things they once loved. Sometimes, there’s even a certain emotional flatness that you don’t want to leave unchecked.
Music therapy surprisingly works well with groups, and if a music therapist can involve the family at home, it can do wonders in helping them open up. Studies have shown that songwriting in group music therapy for older adults can access unconscious emotions. It also allowed them to work through defense mechanisms like repression. If seniors feel comfortable sharing their inner emotions, it can lead to a deeper bond with their family.
Music Therapy Allows Seniors to Pass On Their Legacy
As we touched on before, music therapy is more than just listening to music, and songwriting is one technique that music therapists use. Interestingly, it also gives seniors the opportunity to share their wisdom or messages in song lyrics.
They might have always wanted to do something like this, but without musical knowledge, they never had the chance. A music therapist who visits them at home can help make the entire process easier. The songs made might allow children and grandchildren to have something to remember their loved one as a sort of time capsule.
We know from history that music has played a big role in sharing culture, wisdom, and traditions with future generations. Music, in turn, is also shaped in the process, as studies have found. Many older adults have a deep desire to leave something behind for their offspring to pass down. A song packed with life’s wisdom could be an amazing gift that you could teach your children, and so on and so forth.
It’s safe to say that music therapy can be a powerful therapeutic experience for seniors, especially those who are home-bound and need assistive care. Life can be bleak when life suddenly becomes limited to the walls of your home. Even with family and friends nearby, it’s so important that the spark of life is kept alive.
Music therapy has the power to do this, and hopefully, more families will become aware of the healing it can bring.
