Working in a Nursing home can have some significant challenges. One of those challenges is dealing with dementia.
Over the years you start to build a toolbox of ideas and tricks to try when having a hard time getting someone to do what you need them to do.
Music is one of the last memories lost with dementia
Often it significantly helps to tap into using music to encourage and distract a confused resident to get them to cooperate and try something you need them to do.
Here in a southern state often time older traditional church hymns are one of the easiest tools to use. If you can get them to sing along or even hum along to a church hymn they will calm down and be more open to you.
The more you can get them involved the easier it gets to get them to perform functional tasks like standing or walking.
This is also true for those that do not have memory problems. The old saying of music tames the savage beast. It is amazing how some conversations about music or even if there is music in the gym how it can motivate someone to push through.
It can open up conversations of the past or stories of family. Music is a universal thing.
Singing my favorite song
One of the traditions here from physical therapy is having a resident sing along to a silly “fight” song. It all started from a resident in the memory care unit. She would sing it and whenever the PTA worked with her, they would sing it together and she would improve her function. The standing would be longer or the walking distance would improve.
From that it manifested into multiple residents from memory care and to all of our surprise….it worked.
Unfortunately that PTA has moved on to another facility but the tradition lived on to the PT. It will just give you a little laugh when out of nowhere you hear, “do you want to hear my favorite song?”
Sadly that PT is now moving on so the tradition must be passed along. Even if just through keeping the story alive through this blog.
I vow that forever “Do you want to hear my favorite song?” will bring a smile to my face and will continue to live on.
