Dementia And Music Therapy

Imagine trying to attempt simple everyday tasks and struggling because of confusion or memory loss. Well, unfortunately, this is what it is like for many people with dementia. Dementia is very serious illness and can be hard to function normally. But music therapy, for one, can actually be tremendously helpful for those with dementia in many different ways. The word dementia is often used as an umbrella term to describe a wide range of symptoms. It is commonly used to describe those with a decline in mental abilities that potentially interferes with their everyday life. Dementia is common in older adults and may develop gradually or even appear suddenly. It is also has been found that, “dementia is more prevalent in older adults with the …show more content…
Dementia can occur in relation to many different illnesses. Some of the most common of which are Huntington’s Disease, Parkinson’s Disease and Alzheimer 's. Dementia also may develop in those who have vitamin deficiencies and thyroid problems. Regarding the actual cause in the body, the illness is from damage to brain cells. The brain is broken up into distinct regions that are each responsible for certain functions and when brain cells are damaged in one of the regions, it causes problems or the inability to function like a person would typically function. Additionally, this illness is not necessarily hereditary, but in some cases it can be passed down from generation to …show more content…
For example, symptoms may include a decline in cognitive, behavioral, mood, psychological, and muscular abilities. More specifically, there is “impairment in areas such as speech, writing, gross and fine motor skills, recognition of familiar objects or people, personal hygiene, financial matters, and social skills” (Davis, Gfeller, & Thaut, 2008). The most common known symptoms is the inability to learn new information or remember past information. This could include confusion about who family members are, where they are or they even may not know what order to put on their clothes. After that being said, it is important to note that, not everyone will have all these symptoms and severity ranges from person to person. But in contrast, “a number of case reports document a relative preservation of music abilities”... “particularly for playing a musical instrument, processing of basic aspects of music, and making judgments about familiar melodies” (Johnson & Chow, 2015). Hence, that is why music therapy can be very helpful in preserving and improving those abilities that are being lost because of