Dementia, with very few exceptions, slowly steals a person’s ability to interact with their world; it makes the familiar unknown, language not understandable, friends unrecognizable, lifeless and less accessible, and ever reducing the world of the sufferer to a smaller and smaller number of enjoyable moments. But there is an almost universal exception to this,
Music.
We all know how music can move us, impact our moods and change our outlook on life. The music we’ve listened to all of our lives. Just the sound of it can make us feel everything is all right in our world and bring back memories as if they were new. Music works the same for people dealing with dementia. In fact, music can allow us to reach people with dementia in ways that would otherwise be impossible. Studies have shown music can allow people to access memories, language skills, and a whole universe of abilities long thought lost, sometimes only for the duration of the music, but, often for short to extended periods after the music ends. It gives us access to them, and them access to their lives.
OnSeptember26th 2015 the “My Heart Sings” program will be completing a fund-raising effort to purchase and supply MP3 players with earbuds and chargers to individuals dealing with dementia.
These MP3s will be made available, through the Senior Centers in the area, to be offered to the families and caregivers for the benefit of those they care for with dementia. “My Heart Sings” will program these MP3s with music that meant something to these individuals throughout their lives. These players hold up to 2000 different songs.
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