While music therapy has been proven to be effective, there are certain parameters in which therapy is more successful to target symptoms of agitation in these patients. Yu-Shiun et al. (2015) determined that for music therapy to be effective it had to be delivered at least twice a week. It was also identified that this intervention had a stronger effect in patients with milder symptoms of dementia, as opposed to those with a more progressed form of the disease (p. 1036). In addition, group music therapy tended to be more effective than individualized music therapy, perhaps due to a sense of comradery felt between participants (Yu-Shiun et al., 2015, p. 3434). However, the therapy may be more beneficial if the music itself is individualized
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Ridder et al (2013) discovered that the amount of prescription medications commonly used to treat symptoms of dementia were not increased during music therapy; however, the medications were increased for the control participants who only received standard care (p. 675). This finding illustrates that implementing music therapy within health care settings may lead to a decrease in polypharmacy, as well as a subsequent decrease in the adverse effects of taking multiple medications. Implementation of non-pharmacological interventions, such as music therapy, can not only potentially reduce the medication amount used for agitation and other associated symptoms, but can also reduce costs associated with these medications. The use of music therapy by the nurse can also facilitate the development of strong therapeutic communication by allowing the nurse to become more involved in patient care on a more personal or humanistic level (Vink et al., 2013; Yu-Shuin et al., 2015; McDermott, et al., 2014), creating an environment conducive to the well-being of these patients (Yu-Shiun et al., 2015, p. 3439). Also researchers identified that “therapists who worked on …show more content…
Agitation is one of the most common yet difficult to treat symptoms of dementia, which can create barriers to care for nurses and other health care professionals. The literature identified that music therapy has a definitive positive effect on agitation levels in persons with dementia, resulting in positive effects for the health care providers, family, as well as the health care facility as a whole. However, there are multiple parameters that must be considered in order to ensure the efficacy of the intervention. Health care professionals, such as nurses, looking to utilize this type of therapy within their facilities should further research the benefits and implications, as music therapy is an innovative but still up-and-coming method of facilitating holistic care for patients suffering from
Ridder et al (2013) discovered that the amount of prescription medications commonly used to treat symptoms of dementia were not increased during music therapy; however, the medications were increased for the control participants who only received standard care (p. 675). This finding illustrates that implementing music therapy within health care settings may lead to a decrease in polypharmacy, as well as a subsequent decrease in the adverse effects of taking multiple medications. Implementation of non-pharmacological interventions, such as music therapy, can not only potentially reduce the medication amount used for agitation and other associated symptoms, but can also reduce costs associated with these medications. The use of music therapy by the nurse can also facilitate the development of strong therapeutic communication by allowing the nurse to become more involved in patient care on a more personal or humanistic level (Vink et al., 2013; Yu-Shuin et al., 2015; McDermott, et al., 2014), creating an environment conducive to the well-being of these patients (Yu-Shiun et al., 2015, p. 3439). Also researchers identified that “therapists who worked on …show more content…
Agitation is one of the most common yet difficult to treat symptoms of dementia, which can create barriers to care for nurses and other health care professionals. The literature identified that music therapy has a definitive positive effect on agitation levels in persons with dementia, resulting in positive effects for the health care providers, family, as well as the health care facility as a whole. However, there are multiple parameters that must be considered in order to ensure the efficacy of the intervention. Health care professionals, such as nurses, looking to utilize this type of therapy within their facilities should further research the benefits and implications, as music therapy is an innovative but still up-and-coming method of facilitating holistic care for patients suffering from