Music often evokes memories and can bring up senses and emotions from past encounters with a song, artist or instrument. So, it’s no surprise that music can be a helpful tool for residents in memory care.
Director of Life Enrichment Anne Messer has witnessed this firsthand. In the Lumen Lane Memory Care neighborhood, music is incorporated into the weekly recreation schedule. Residents enjoy activities such as:
In her experience, Anne said music “encompasses the five domains of recreation, engaging residents’ physical, cognitive, emotional, social and spiritual functions.” For example, it can engage a resident physically while they tap and move with the rhythm or also engage them mentally, reducing anxiety and agitation.
Beyond this, she said it can also trigger memories and help them recall song lyrics. Research suggests that musical memories are often preserved in Alzheimer’s disease because key brain areas linked to musical memory are relatively undamaged by the disease.
Are you looking for a place for your loved one to call home? Want to learn more about a community where they can live their lives to the fullest while they receive specialized and innovative care? Visit lightofheartsvilla.org to find out more about Light of Hearts Villa assisted living and memory care unit.
Learn About Vincentian Pathways: A Project to Restore History and Build Community.
Date: Tuesday, April 1st | Time: 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM | Location: Light of Hearts Villa | 283 Union St. Bedford, OH 44146
On Saturday, April 19 at 2 PM, families and friends are invited to bring their little ones for an Easter Egg Hunt across the Villa grounds.
Sister Regina Kusnir, SC, has lived a life of extraordinary charity and has been an integral part of Light of Hearts Villa. She helped coordinate the transition of Lumen Cordium High School into an assisted living facility in 1989. Since 2005, she has served as the director of pastoral and special ministries, where she helps address the spiritual life of residents.
