We’ve got the beat! At Oakwood Creative Care, we are passionate about utilizing music to create worthwhile experiences for our senior members with Alzheimer’s, dementia, and other cognitive and physical challenges. Not only can music help older adults get up and groove, but there’s a special magic that happens when a familiar tune reaches the ears and ignites memories from deep within. Music is a universal language that speaks to all souls, which makes the week of April 10-15 extra special as we pump up the joy for World Music Therapy Week!
Why We Celebrate World Music Therapy Week
Launched in 2016 by the World Federation of Music Therapy (WFMT), World Music Therapy Week joins together music therapists, teachers, students, patients, and all others in sharing their love for music.
During this week, everyone is encouraged to engage in activities that increase awareness of and advocacy for music therapy, some of which benefits include:
- Promoting balance
- Providing new ways of communication
- Improving emotional and mental health
When Words Fail, Music Speaks
Plato once said, “Rhythm and harmony find their way into the inmost places of the soul.” In other words, music has a direct channel into the heart, binding itself around the memories formed within. Because of this, music remains a timeless reminder, regardless of its style or age.
At Oakwood Creative Care, we have found that generational favorites, specifically those from a loved one’s formative years, can open a new door into a person’s memories, recalling significant moments that might have once been clouded by the effects of a diagnosis.
This is significant to the way Oakwood incorporates music into its Day Clubs’ structure because studies have found that listening to and performing music reactivates areas of the brain associated with memory, speech, and emotion.
Further studies have also found that lyrics can be especially helpful to those recovering from a stroke or brain injury that has damaged the left-brain region responsible for speech. Because singing ability originates in the undamaged right side of the brain, people can learn to speak their thoughts by singing them first and gradually dropping the melody.
Pump Up The JOY With Music Therapy!
Music has a profound ability to spark moments of memory recall for seniors whose Alzheimer’s or other age-related condition has impacted their ability to remember. The therapeutic benefits of music can also be utilized in creating new and inspiring moments of engagement within the present moment, promoting opportunities for lifelong learning, and establishing new foundations for interpersonal connections – each pillar of which is deeply rooted in some of the activities housed within Oakwood Creative Care’s Adult Day Clubs.
No matter the diagnosis or challenges faced, every person has a grand story to tell. Oakwood’s Engagement Specialists look to music as an opportunity to show members new ways to connect and communicate what they feel within to the outside world. With such a pertinent role in the everyday happenings at Oakwood Creative Care, here are a few of our favorite instances where music was used to pump up the joy for members and families of our Day Clubs:
Did You Know?
Oakwood Creative Care is bringing back the JOY in aging! We believe a diagnosis should not have to define your life. Instead, we have devoted our mission to reigniting hope for caregivers and older adults with Alzheimer’s, dementia, and other age-related challenges. Click the button below to learn more about how we do this through our research-based, cutting-edge, creative care model found at each of our Day Clubs.
