iPods for your elders

[groomporter]

Sorry this really hit me hard and have to share it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKDXuCE7LeQ&sns=fb

It makes me wonder what we could have done for my mother as we slowly lost her to Parkinsons and dementia. Buy an iPod for your parent/aunt/uncle and replace it if it disappears from the nursing home.

[Rani Zemirah]

What a wonderful story... and an amazing discovery!  I sincerely hope they continue researching this sort of therapy...

[Amyj]

I saw that video...so amazing!!!  As a singer (not professionally, just karaoke and for fun), I have always felt the power of music.  It's amazing how music can instantly take someone back to a time, place, emotion.  I know that as my Grandmother was reaching the end of her Parkinsons and the dementia involved, she still lit up and enjoyed when we would sing or play piano for her...she seemed more at peace and "there" and those times.  I have even seen it to a certain extent in my cats...we spent the last day with our terminally ill cat sitting and listening to Enya (we called it his "cozy music" when he was younger and would get in psycho-kitty mode).  He seemed to relax and not be in as much physical discomfort as he had been.  Singing even helped me get past the stress of quitting smoking...

I think that this type of therapy may be a key to curing/managing many diseases.  I wonder if the patient's level of involvement in music has much of a bearing?  Does it work "better" with someone who was a musician of some sort before?  Do regional musical trends have a difference  (I know that for ME, bagpipes can be energizing...maybe not so much for others though...)?  I would imagine live music would have a similar impact...

Anyway...I agree with Groomporter; get your loved ones in nursing homes/hospice care Ipods or even a decent boombox...give them music!  And I encourage anyone involved with or a part of choirs to see about performing at nursing homes.  My high school choir would always tour the local nursing homes during the holidays, and I would like to think it made a difference.