Musical memory is unusually resilient. People who no longer speak in sentences may sing a whole song, and a personalised playlist from a person's teens and twenties is the most effective form.
Certified music therapists work clinically; families can also do a great deal with a playlist and a speaker.
Why it matters
It is free, it works quickly, and it is one of the few things that reliably brings a person back to the room.
Sources
Where to check this, and where to read more. All external and all authoritative.
Music in dementia care where you live
The local guide on this, for each city we cover.
- Baltimore, MD
- Boston, MA
- Buffalo, NY
- Charlotte, NC
- Chicago, IL
- Columbus, OH
- Dallas, TX
- Denver, CO
- Detroit, MI
- Houston, TX
- Los Angeles, CA
- Memphis, TN
- Milwaukee, WI
- New York, NY
- Philadelphia, PA
- Phoenix, AZ
- San Antonio, TX
- San Diego, CA
- Seattle, WA
- Tucson, AZ