PEOPLE WHO HAVE DEMENTIA experience severe memory loss and other cognitive deficits that can significantly impair their ability to perform activities of daily living and function independently. However, Rosanne Kalinowski, Activities Director at The Gardens of St. Francis in Oregon, recognized long ago that clients with dementia, despite losing so many vital cognitive links, often retain their connection with music.
She explains, “In my many years of experience working with people with dementia and other memory issues, I’ve observed that one of the last things they tend to lose is music, whether it’s the tune of a song or the lyrics.”
Gifted with a good singing voice, Kalinowski frequently incorporates singalongs and other musical experiences into her activity planning. She usually tries to choose songs that are repetitive and very easy to sing without having to reference written lyrics, such as “I’ve Been Working on the Railroad.” She remarks that memory care residents tend to remember the lyrics to songs more readily when they can hear them sung instead of having to read them.
Though most of the songs she chooses are secular, Kalinowski has observed that hymns and prayers seem to have a much more profound impact on residents. “Whereas secular songs tend to elicit a more animated, fun reaction, religious songs seem to touch residents in a very different place, putting them in a more spiritual, reverent state of mind,” she says. “This makes sense because we learn prayers and hymns in community with family and close friends of like mind, so they often have strong associations with people or places we knew in the past, and that brings comfort.”
This is not to suggest that memory care residents respond uniformly to different songs or forms of music. In fact, reactions are highly individualized. Kalinowski has seen agitated residents calm down and typically inactive residents become more animated when music is played or sung. There are also times when music elicits a negative response in residents. For example, one individual might enjoy listening to marches while another might find them overly stimulating. Or a particular song might evoke sorrowful memories of someone who has passed away, in which case it’s best to alter the song selection.
Some responses are especially poignant. Kalinowski recalls a sing-along she held many years ago in which an elderly resident did everything she could to get on her feet during the song “Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus.” Another situation that really touched her was during a sing-along featuring patriotic songs. “As part of the activity, I played a video montage of different sports teams singing the national anthem, and as I looked around the group, I noticed one of the ladies had placed her hand over her heart,” she recollects.
Kalinowski emphasizes that it’s not just the residents who benefit from these musical experiences. “In fact, the first time we had a sing-along here in our memory care unit, we had such a joyful and uplifting time singing and watching videos that when I came back downstairs, I said, ‘This is the reason I’m doing what I’m doing!’”
Music can be used to open up other therapeutic avenues, as well. “For example, we can talk about who made the song famous, or I can begin the lyrics and have the residents finish them. As with everything else we do in memory care, it’s all about making connections and relationships,” Kalinowski says.
In addition to informal musical interactions such as sing-alongs, The Gardens of St. Francis participates in the Music & Memory program. According to the website musicandmemory.org, this national program is designed to “help people in nursing homes and other care organizations who suffer from a wide range of cognitive and physical challenges to find renewed meaning and connection in their lives through the gift of personalized music.”
Kalinowski comments, “Through this program, we help memory care residents develop individualized iPod playlists based on their preferences—whether that means prayer and religious music, classical, big band, or any other style they like. They can then listen to these selections in their rooms through speakers or headphones. On a national level, Music & Memory has been demonstrated to have a variety of benefits for program participants, including experiencing fewer falls and less agitation. It’s a very powerful and effective tool.”
The Gardens of St. Francis is located at 930 S. Wynn Rd. in Oregon, Ohio. For more information, please call 419-698-4331.
