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Think about the emotional experience you have when you hear your wedding song, the music from your prom or the lullaby your mother sang you. It immediately takes you to another time and can help you recall what you felt and who you were. That's why music therapy works so well with those who have dementia. Music and memory programs are now relied upon to connect those who are forgetting with a more empowering experience.
My mother's decent into the darkness of Alzheimer's was sometimes pierced by the first few notes of The Tennessee Waltz. It was my parents special song and when they danced together my father always saw her as that young woman he fell in love with before the thief of memories took over. More importantly, she felt like that young girl, too.
Hymns that are familiar, songs like "You are My Sunshine" and military marches can be used effectively to help manage behaviors of those with memory disorders. Music can offer a great calming effect, it can be comforting force and even a distraction, so we are sharing this list of music resources from Being Patient which may help you utilize its power.
List of music resources from Being Patient: