Music and Massage in Assisted Living (San Antonio, Texas) Keeping Your Loved Ones Stress Free

A loved one who is suffering from dementia can become easily agitated and stressed, even from the littlest things. Calming them down can be difficult, and the last thing you want to do is rely so much on medication. However, there are findings showing that seemingly simple things, like music and massage, can help calm people suffering from Alzheimer’s and minimize their levels of stress. Hence, both are being practiced and implemented at reputable assisted living facilities in San Antonio, Texas. Here is an overview of how music and massage can help your loved one:

How music helps

Music can help people suffering from dementia recall certain types of emotions and memories. It may boost the mental performance of people with Alzheimer’s, too, especially after they sing classic songs from their youth, as well as show tunes from musicals and movies. Music can effectively evoke emotion, which brings memories, and that can make a person feel alive and pleasant again. By combining music with daily activities, individuals who have dementia can develop a rhythm for recalling the activity, thus, improving their cognitive ability in the long run.

The same study found that musical appreciation and aptitude are among the last abilities to go in people with dementia. They stay long after the other abilities have been forgotten. So, music is a good way to reach out to the person. It can help establish physical and emotional closeness. If your loved one can still move, he or she can still dance when he or she feels secure and happy with the memories being triggered by a certain sound or song. Singing engages dementia patients, too, as well as lifts the mood, stimulate positive interactions, and manage stress.

How massage works

Touch has the power to heal, and massage for people with dementia can be beneficial as it enhances blood flow and circulation. With improved circulation, the person gets a boost in endorphins. Likewise, blood pressure can be reduced for overall improvement of your loved one’s health. Blood can travel well to the muscles to improve balance and movement, and go to the brain to improve awareness and activity.