Music therapy helps Alzheimer’s patients live ‘in the moment’
Gina Iuliucci, left, activities coordinator at Woodside, the Alzheimer's unit at Southminister Place in Presbyterian SeniorCare, Washington, sings to Anna Cowan, right, as Colleen Sheldon watches.
Anna Cowan flashes a rare smile as Gina Gina Iuliucci, Activities Coordinator for Woodside at the Presbyterian Senior Care can make the seniors smile and clap with singing and dancing to melodies from their earlier days.
Catherine Oberman, left, dances with Marsha Dykins, an activity aide at the Washington County Health Center.
Marie Eckels loves to sing and dance to the music from her wheelchair as Dan Urbanik guides her at the Washington County Health Center.
Dan Urbanik changes CDs while Washington County Health Center residents wait for the next song.
Dan Urbanik said it may be “corny,” but he volunteers at the Washington County Health Center every month just to see the residents smile.
And their happiness is contagious. They dance to every polka and do-si-do to every square dance. Some even sing along to the classics Urbanik plays from a stereo, like “Quando, Quando, Quando.”
The gift he brings is music, and it has an especially powerful effect on residents living with Alzheimer’s disease or some form of dementia. Even though memory loss can’t be reversed, music therapy helps temporarily with memory recall. Many say it also improves their quality of life.
Urbanik, 85, of Washington, did his first “show” at the health center when his wife, Marie, was a resident. She had dementia and died in 2009.
To honor her memory and help others affected by dementia, Urbanik kept coming back, month after month, with his CD collection in tow. He said he just loves music and has it playing inside his home at all hours of the day and night.
“I get up and I sing off-tune, off-key, but it’s all fun,” said Urbanik, a Korean War veteran and retired General Motors employee. “I like to see these young ladies get a smile on their face. When I was here with my wife, week after week after week, I didn’t see any entertainment.”
Cindy Zubchevich, activities director, said music therapy now plays an integral role at the health center’s secured units for Alzheimer’s and dementia patients. In addition to Urbanik’s shows, the facility hosts local bands and singers – most notably an Elvis impersonator – and gives residents the chance to play instruments in a rhythm band.
“A lot of times, people will respond to music when they may not respond to anything else,” Zubchevich said. “It may stimulate a memory, especially when we play oldies.”
Zubchevich said even low-functioning residents who have lost verbal abilities are sometimes able to recite the Pledge of Allegiance, Lord’s Prayer and lyrics to familiar tunes.
And oftentimes, the residents don’t want the music to stop. After Urbanik finished a show last week, a woman approached him and said, “Hey, sir, sing a polka for me.”
Residents at Woodside, the Alzheimer’s unit at Southminister Place in Presbyterian SeniorCare in Washington, responded similarly to a music activity in September.
Gina Iuliucci, activities coordinator, played guitar and encouraged residents to sing along. While Iuliucci sang “By the Light of the Silvery Moon,” some women swayed and clapped, while others hummed the melody. “Accentuate the Positive” proved to be a hit, and the circle of women volleyed a balloon back and forth while the upbeat tune played.
Iuliucci, who has a degree in music therapy and music education, said the goal is to get residents moving and socializing. She also prompts them to finish a song title or lyrics, which helps with memory recall.
“Especially with folks with dementia, you know their speech is not what it was. Their abilities – cognitively, physically – are not what they were,” Iuliucci said. “But you put on music and songs from their youth and you can see they just start singing along. Even if they don’t remember the exact words – a lot of times they do, which is amazing – they know the song.”
With music therapy for Alzheimer’s and dementia patients, the goal is to help them make a connection, which is not always an easy task. But if it can be done – even momentarily – then it is a success.
“You’re never going to replace that which is gone, so unfortunately it’s not about making someone better or making someone who has lost their speech speak again,” Iuliucci said, “but it’s all about in the moment.”