Music therapy enhances communication, social interaction, memory recall and reduces anxiety and confusion. Music Therapy also help with Impairments in: Cognition, Social skills, Motor ability, Communication
Music therapy has been used in rehabilitation settings to stimulate brain functions involved in cognition, emotions, speech, sensory perception and movement
Dementia (Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s), Acquired brain injury (stroke), Terminal diseases (cancer), Parkinson’s Disease, Huntington’s Disease, Mental Illnesses (Depression), physical pain, people in need of end of life care, etc.
Research has shown that Music therapy can promote the well being of clients in many areas including: stress management, alleviation of pain, emotional expression, memory enhancement, improvements in communication and promoting physical rehabilitation.
In recent years there has been growing literature to support the use of music therapy in addressing the needs of of the elderly. Music therapy has the capacity to enhance relaxation, provide distraction, and also to reduce the individual’s physical and emotional pain (Bradt et al., 2007). Knox and Jutai (1996) found that music listening activities can lead to better outcomes in rehabilitation due to the activation of specific neural pathways. They observed that music seemed to engage the most important and complex neural systems for human attention and memory thus improving the clients susceptibility to rehabilitation.
Music Therapy helps through reminiscence (detailed memories, sense of identity), as it allows the client to express his/her own identity by eliciting autobiographical memory. It is also an important way to cope with the stress of aging, death or physic/psychic failures, as it eliminates anxiety, depression and feelings of isolation (Davis, 1999; Patrick & Avins, 2005).
Structured activities can make people more comfortable (can participate in structured Music Ttherapy sessions for up to 30 mins, even when cognitive, social, and physiological abilities continue to deteriorate)
Song writing for self expression, ideal to meet the dying patient’s biopsychosocial and spiritual needs
Instrument Playing: For fine and/or gross motor skills enhancement, promoting feelings of achievement and self-esteem.
Offers a safe space for emotional expression
Is a very enjoyable, motivating stimulus
Offers a space for social interaction
Is a creative way to achieve therapeutic outcomes
Pre-composed Music
Improvised music (on percussion and tuned instruments)
Music listening
Singing
Composing
Lyric analysis
Music relaxation
Movement to music
Emotional expression
Increase mobility, strength and muscle control
Reducing stress and anxiety
Help maintain or improve physical, mental, cognitive and psychological functions
Improving social/interpersonal skills
Promote quality of life, reminiscence, personal hygiene
Stimulate long and short term memory
Enhancing learning, memory and emotional response through imitation and the repetitive structure of familiar songs
Enhancing speech through vocalisations, the use of images, picture simbols or words, songs with repetitive elements
Improving functional skills (e.g. hand usage, eye contact, cause and effect relation)
Improving family interactions and support
Helps with reality orientation (time, place, person recognition)
Decreases wandering and agitation
Alleviate feelings of isolation and depression
Web design, Search Engine Optimisation and Hosting by IDF Marketing
