2023-05-29 11:02:44
The use of music for therapeutic purposes for the elderly, music therapy, manages to improve the quality of life and self-esteem of these patients, as well as favoring an environment where participation, creativity and communication can be worked on.
The Cantabrian grandparents who are sweeping Tik Tok using dance as therapy. EFE/Pablo Ayerbe
It has been shown that music, in general, improves the cognitive and emotional development of people and, in the case of the elderly, its impact on mood and psychomotor skills is important, so music therapy becomes an a key tool.
“Music therapy can be understood as a preventive measure or as a therapeutic method itself. In geriatrics, it is ideal for integrating and improving the abilities of older people in the areas of language, attention, memory, behavior and mobility,” he explains. David Curto, Medical Director, Quality and Innovation of Sanitas Mayores.
“In any case -he points out- it is essential to take into account the circumstances of each patient, since each therapy must be unique and appropriate to the person. This rule is valid for both individual and group activities.
Areas of benefits of music therapy in the elderly
Music therapy in the elderly provides:
• Helps a good processing of the language.
• It is positive for the memory. In addition, activities such as singing or dancing not only help memory, but can also help to recover memories that were thought to be lost.
• Has a direct effect on the conduct. Older people with dementia often have difficulties perceiving certain stimuli, which often causes them anxiety. Music helps them calm down that stress and control this response.
• Power the emotional well-being since it positively interferes with the nervous system, helping to produce greater parasympathetic activity and decrease anxiety.
It’s not just listening to music
Music therapy does not only consist of listening to music, but it can be carried out with different activities. Among them are:
• Learn to play an instrumentas it enhances creativity and helps improve coordination and concentration.
• Sessions of baile: they improve coordination, mobility and balance, and are a perfect activity to practice in a group and thus improve social relationships. They also train memory.
• Sessions of singing and dancing: perfect activities to stimulate memory and other cognitive aspects.
• activities like paintingwhile listening to music, can be beneficial for the emotional and physical health of the elderly.
How to organize the sessions
When organizing a music therapy session with the elderly, it is important that the choice of music meets both the patient’s musical tastes and their medical needs.
It is also essential to know the cognitive state of the patients so that the sessions are effective and adapted to their situation. In this sense, the sessions will be shorter and in small groups if the patients suffer from an advanced state of dementia.
“There are many ways to tell how someone is feeling beyond verbal communication. It must be taken into account that when a person suffers a high deterioration in their communication skills, they have other ways of making us see how they feel and we must be attentive to them, observing their reactions to music and helping them to express themselves about their emotions”, he points out. Andrea Trujillo, psychologist at BluaU de sanitas.
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