Absolutely. I'm not exaggerating when I say there was music in my father's life almost every day from the diagnosis of dementia. You see, Mum, Dad and I had always enjoyed playing music and singing along at the weekends. So we tried to continue that in some form. His carer would play music throughout the day and when we'd put him to bed we would play some soft music to relax him.
When Dad was in a nursing home we would bring CDs and many of the patients would start singing when usually some wouldn't mutter a word. It was lovely to see something come alive in them. Dad didn't react but we could tell somehow that it was having an effect. Two nights before he died, we had the radio on. Dad worked as a sports broadcaster on local radio and his friend and ex colleague was DJ-ing that night - Sinatra, Monro, Ella Fitzgerald, that type of thing. When he played a recording of a song sung by a deceased former giant in local radio who Dad knew and worked with, he started thrashing almost in excitement. It appeared that through all the suffering, he recognised the name and the tune.
I cannot emphasise enough that music is a wonderful form of therapy for those with dementia if they like music. And for all involved in care it can be part of their journey too.
When Dad was in a nursing home we would bring CDs and many of the patients would start singing when usually some wouldn't mutter a word. It was lovely to see something come alive in them. Dad didn't react but we could tell somehow that it was having an effect. Two nights before he died, we had the radio on. Dad worked as a sports broadcaster on local radio and his friend and ex colleague was DJ-ing that night - Sinatra, Monro, Ella Fitzgerald, that type of thing. When he played a recording of a song sung by a deceased former giant in local radio who Dad knew and worked with, he started thrashing almost in excitement. It appeared that through all the suffering, he recognised the name and the tune.
I cannot emphasise enough that music is a wonderful form of therapy for those with dementia if they like music. And for all involved in care it can be part of their journey too.