Awakening Memories: Music Therapy for Dementia

There may be no cure for dementia yet, but the best providers of dementia care in San Antonio Texas have systems and programs in place to help manage the symptoms and slow the gradual degradation of the brain. Music therapy for dementia is often a part of these programs, and it is based on our nature as humans to respond to sound. Music can provide seniors with dementia a number of benefits. Not only will it enrich their lives and make it more meaningful—it can also be used as a tool to communicate to them, make them feel better, trigger good memories, and improve emotional functioning.

Music therapy is good for all ages, but it is especially helpful for seniors who need dementia care in San Antonio Texas. Dementia can affect the way we express our basic needs, and when we lose our ability to communicate, we feel helpless and isolated. Music can be a way to encourage communication between therapists and the individual. Therapy can include singing, which promotes communication through its stimulation and structure. Music may likewise encourage seniors with dementia to become physically active when it triggers them to dance to their favorite sounds and songs. Dementia care providers in San Antonio Texas are careful to choose music that is familiar; they also let the person client what they want to hear. They may encourage movement by clapping with the sound, too.

As part of dementia care in San Antonio Texas, music therapy helps trigger emotional response by evoking certain types of feelings, memories, and sensations. Certain sounds and melodies relate to inner feelings and emotions, which can still be meaningful to an individual who is already unable to recall recent events. Music may improve the quality of life in some individuals with dementia, too, as it helps minimizes feelings of isolation while enhancing overall mental and physical well-being. It may encourage a stronger sense of control, better memory recall, improvements in the mood, and social interaction as well.