Music: A Secret Sauce for Dementia Care
Submitted by Bill Barberg
Founder and President
InsightFormation, Inc.
The journey of supporting individuals living with dementia and their caregivers is best traveled with compassion, dedication, and innovation to find new ways to enhance joy and connection.
In a recent InsightFormation webinar, Music: A Secret Sauce for a Community Dementia Strategy, we explored new frontiers in an promising realm of dementia care, exploring the profound impact of music on memory and how it is becoming a transformative force in a community dementia strategy.
You can watch the seminar here:
Dementia Music Seminar Experts
Renowned dementia care expert and educator, Teepa Snow, along with other pioneers in the field, shared their insights and innovative practices in using music to bring joy and comfort to those affected by dementia and their caregivers. The key sections of the webinar are summarized below, with links to videos edited from the webinar.
Teepa Snow’s Approach
Teepa Snow’s captivating presentation showcased some practical and inspiring methods of using music to assist people living with dementia. From solving crossword puzzles through traditional songs and rhymes to dancing to rhythmic beats, Teepa’s approach highlights the transformative power of music.
Group singing within local communities fosters connections and spreads the joy of music, enriching the lives of those with dementia and their caregivers. If you missed it, you can watch 10 minutes of gold with Teepa Snow here.
Dementia Choirs: Building Bonds through Song
Dementia choirs have become a source of happiness and positive relationships for individuals living with dementia and their caregivers. These choirs unite participants through song, creating one voice that spreads the joy of music while building high-value social connections.
The webinar featured Giving Voice, an organization that is helping launch and strengthen dementia choirs around the world. It also shared a fun and inspiring example of how others in a community can support dementia choirs.
Adam Reinwald, the “Viceroy of Fun” for the Minneapolis Beer Choir, shares his personal experience in this video, working with dementia choir fundraisers and videos showcasing how singing together brings joy and a sense of togetherness, enriching the lives of those involved and bringing hope to the dementia community.
Music Therapy: Unleashing the Power of Sound
Music therapy has proven to be a potent force in transforming the lives of patients with dementia. Melodies have the ability to elicit positive responses and change moods of dementia patients.
Tara Jenkins, an expert in music therapy, shares her personal experiences working with patients living with dementia and Alzheimer’s both in-person and remotely. Her work aims to improve the lives of patients and their caregivers, using the power of music as a channel of communication that words cannot match.
Sociavi: Uniting Families with Senior-optimized Technology (using Music!)
One popular part of the webinar showcases the Digital Health Companion™ (DHC), an ingenious device developed by Paula Muller, the founder of Sociavi.
This device and service can be used in many ways to connect families and friends who are separated physically with seniors who would realistically use a laptop, tablet or smartphone. The DHC can be utilized not only for maintaining connections but also for music therapy, further amplifying the impact of music in dementia care.
Muller discusses the inspiration behind the device and shares real-world examples for DHC in use, which we encourage you to watch here.
Precision Music: Enhancing Caregiver Interactions with AI-powered music
Music Health is on the cutting-edge of using music for the aging population. They developed Vera, an AI-powered tool for precision music that provides personalized support for emotional wellbeing for individuals living with dementia.
Using machine learning algorithms, Vera learns which songs and sequences will be most effective in helping a person with dementia shift from a depressed, lethargic or agitated state of mind to a more positive state. This has led to greatly enhanced interactions with caregivers and improved quality of life, as shared in this segment of the webinar.
Scaling up the Impact
InsightFormation’s webinar not only showcased these valuable practices but also emphasized the importance of scaling up the impact of using music in different settings. From interpersonal activities to music therapy and dementia choirs, the power of music can be harnessed in various ways to bring enjoyment and relief to those affected by dementia across an entire community.
We believe that communities and coalitions have an inherent capacity for growth and transformation. By attending our webinars, you open the door to approaches and resources to scale up positive innovations and collaboration. We invite you to watch some of our previous and future webinars regarding innovations to improve healthy aging.
Start the Music!
Music’s profound effects on memory and emotional well-being have made it a driving force in dementia care. Teepa Snow’s approach, along with the emergence of dementia choirs and innovative technologies like Sociavi’s Digital Health Companion™ and Music Health’s Vera, showcases the immense potential of music to enhance the lives of individuals with dementia and their caregivers.
Let’s continue to spread the joy of music and make a difference in the lives of those affected by dementia.
Stay tuned for more exciting updates from InsightFormation!
Bill Barberg
Founder and President
InsightFormation, Inc.
