Looking for a natural way to improve your mood, reduce stress, and enjoy a more fulfilling life? Music can absolutely be the answer! Music is often appreciated at independent living communities as an enjoyable therapy option for older adults, and its rewards are numerous.
Special Health Benefits Of Music
Music Encourages Physical Activity
One way that listening to music helps older adults is by encouraging them to be more active. Certain types of music just naturally make you want to dance, whether it's childhood favorites or recent hits. Many seniors become so interested that they actually want to take a dancing class because the music sparks something in them. The health benefits from the extra activity are a bonus to your overall health.
Music Reduces Stress
A therapeutic music program is an excellent way to help deal with daily stresses or emotions. It is not uncommon for an independent senior to experience anxiety or depression, sometimes as a result of the loneliness they might feel if family is not nearby. Listening to music can be reinvigorating and energizing, as well as a mood lifter. Music is proven to reduce stress levels, which is another excellent benefit. What's more, when seniors listen to or are engaged in music, it encourages socialization and bonding.
Music Improves Speech
If you have a loved one who is experiencing speech problems from a condition like Alzheimer’s or dementia, music therapy can help with that. Listening to music, they might want to talk about one or more of the songs. They might even begin to chat about special memories that are brought forth as a result of favorite songs. Another way it helps with speech when it inspires seniors to sing along to the music that is playing.
Music Helps In Dealing With Pain
A therapeutic music program can also help older adults who are afflicted with chronic pain. The soothing sounds of music are calming and serve as a pleasant distraction from the pain. One study conducted of 143 people supports this theory; participants who were exposed to music to take their minds off of their pain found that their pain was reduced when they were engaged in music.
Music Aids In Better Cognitive Abilities
There are also some other cognitive abilities aside from speech that music helps with. Older adults can experience problems organizing their thoughts and memories. Listening to music can bring them back to a different time, which gets their mind working in a way it might not have been doing before. It is especially helpful to dementia patients who not only have memory issues but also have difficulty recalling names and faces. Music therapy is commonly used with dementia patients to try to provide at least brief moments of clarity.
Learn how you can help seniors with chronic pain enjoy the benefits of music through the Eskaton Therapeutic Music Program.
