Memory Care Lexington, KY: Encouraging Expression Through Music and Story
Music and stories support memory in a variety of ways as part of memory care in Lexington, KY. Music can improve cognition and communication as well as long-term memory. Storytelling activates regions across the brain, promoting better cognitive health and communication.
According to the Alzheimer's Association, 81,000 people in Kentucky live with Alzheimer's disease. Creative aging is one method for ensuring this segment of the population ages with dignity. It uses music, storytelling, and other activities to promote well-being for Lexington senior support.
What Is Creative Aging?
Creative aging uses artistic and creative engagement to enhance the quality of life for older adults. It focuses on participatory, professionally-run programming that can include:
- Art classes and appreciation
- Music-making
- Storytelling
- Theater
Creative aging emphasizes social engagement and skills development. It's rooted in the belief that people continue to learn and grow in all stages of life.
What Is the Role of Music in Dementia Care?
Researchers and family members of people with dementia have long known the connection between music and memory. Music can improve communication skills, strengthen long-term memory, and support overall cognition. Music can also help reduce anxiety and lessen behavioral symptoms like agitation, restlessness, and aggression.
Music and Communication
Participating in music, specifically singing, can help people with dementia communicate verbally more easily. As people use the neural pathways associated with singing, their regular speech often improves. The neural traffic is essentially being rerouted to reach its destination.
Music can improve communication between a person with dementia and their caregivers. A study from Northwestern Medicine showed that shared musical experiences reduced anxiety and improved social interaction between people with Alzheimer's disease and their caregivers. Verbal and non-verbal communication improved compared to a control group without music.
Music and Long-Term Memory
People with dementia can often remember songs and lyrics even if they have difficulty remembering names or vocabulary. Music activates many different regions and processes in the brain, which may allow neural pathways that haven't been impacted by dementia to function.
Music may even provide memory enrichment and protect against cognitive decline. A study reported by UCLA Health found that people in their 70s who listened to music every day had a 40% lower chance of developing dementia. They performed better on tests of cognitive function and memory than the control group.
Music and Symptom Relief
Research has found that participating in music can reduce psychiatric symptoms of dementia, like anxiety, depression, apathy, and delusions. Music also improved well-being for caregivers in the study. Group music-making can improve social interactions, which also encourages relaxation and reduces agitation.
What Type of Music Is Best for Dementia?
The best music for someone with dementia is the music that inspires them to respond positively. The Alzheimer's Association recommends having your loved one choose the music themself if possible. If not, you might start with music from their teenage years or early 20s, which can encourage retrieval of long-term memories.
If your loved one seems to respond better to a certain song or type of music, look for more songs of that type. On the other hand, avoid music that seems to make them anxious or irritated.
Choose music that supports the feelings you're trying to enhance. For example, calm, soothing music can help promote relaxation.
Minimize Confusion
You can reduce confusion and distraction by avoiding music sources with commercials. Minimize background noise by turning off the TV or other sources of sound and closing the windows. Be sure the music itself is loud enough to be heard easily but not so loud it's overwhelming.
Does Storytelling Improve Memory?
Storytelling has many benefits for people with dementia. Research has shown that creative story therapy has a positive effect on cognitive function, quality of life, and social communication.
Study participants whose care plans included storytelling scored higher on a test of cognitive function than people who received standard memory care. When people tell or listen to a story, they engage in a multisensory way through images, emotions, and memories. This helps build a cognitive reserve and keeps the brain active.
What Part of the Brain Is Activated by Storytelling?
Listening to or telling stories activates regions of the brain that process language, images, emotions, and memories. Participants feel like they're experiencing the story because of this multisensory processing.
Functional MRI scans show that when someone listens to a story, their brain waves start to synchronize with those of the person telling the story. This builds connections among the people involved in the storytelling activity.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do You Have to Be Good at Music for It to Help Dementia?
No, the benefits of music for people with dementia don't depend on musical skill. Musical interventions may be especially helpful for people with musical experience, though.
Making music can also be more beneficial when participants are working to build skills and not simply using the same techniques each time. Research has shown that lifelong learning has profound benefits for older adults, no matter their initial skill level or the activity being pursued.
What Is the Best Way to Encourage Storytelling?
You may need to try a variety of ways to prompt storytelling because each person will react differently. Effective prompts can include:
- Photos
- Familiar objects
- Questions about earlier life
Your reactions as a listener also have a large impact on creating a productive storytelling session. Try to be fully present to the speaker and avoid distractions like using your phone. Respond with warmth and curiosity to the story, and avoid making corrections.
Creating a positive, safe environment will encourage your loved one to continue telling their story.
Creative Aging in Memory Care in Lexington, KY
Music and storytelling are two ways creative aging finds a place in memory care in Lexington, KY. Music and stories promote better memory, cognitive health, and communication. They activate the brain in ways beyond conventional memory care.
Preston Greens Senior Living in Lexington provides memory care that truly cares for our residents' holistic health. Our SHINE Memory Care program offers personalized support that incorporates music, storytelling, and other enriching activities. We honor your loved one's experiences, fostering choices and a better quality of life.
Schedule a tour of Preston Greens today to see how our compassionate team will support you and your loved one through this new chapter in your lives.