Music plays a crucial role in our lives – it evokes emotions, brings back memories, and helps us relax. For seniors, especially those suffering from dementia or Alzheimer’s disease, it can become an invaluable tool to enhance their quality of life. Research confirms that appropriately selected music can positively influence cognitive functions, mood, and overall well-being in older adults (Särkämö et al., 2014).
If you want to learn more about the scientific aspects of music therapy for dementia, check out our previous article: “How Music Supports Dementia Therapy: A Scientific Overview.”
Now, let’s move on to practical applications! Here are five proven ways to incorporate music into daily senior care.
Music in senior care can be a simple yet highly effective method to positively impact the daily lives of older adults.
Listening to favorite melodies can effectively lower stress levels and improve the well-being of seniors. Studies show that music reduces cortisol – the stress hormone – and helps calm the nervous system (Thoma et al., 2013). It is worth playing calming instrumental pieces or well-loved classical songs that bring back pleasant memories.
How to implement it?
Choose soothing melodies without sudden changes in tempo or volume.
Play music in the background during relaxation, meals, or stressful moments. If a senior tends to get up from the table during meals or eats alone, music can help create a pleasant atmosphere and encourage them to eat more calmly.
hörbert allows the creation of custom playlists or internet radio streaming, making it easy for seniors to enjoy relaxing music without complicated devices.
Studies confirm that music in senior care has a calming effect and significantly enhances emotional well-being.
Music acts as a “key to memories” – it can bring back past experiences and even facilitate communication in people with advanced dementia (Jacobsen et al., 2015). Reminiscence therapy uses familiar melodies to stimulate memory and improve cognitive abilities.
How to implement it?
Ask seniors about their favorite songs from their youth – popular hits from the 50s, 60s, or 70s work especially well.
Organize regular listening sessions and discussions – encourage seniors to share memories related to specific songs.
Use music in memory exercises – for example, ask seniors to complete song lyrics or guess the artist.
Create a personalized playlist in hörbert, utilizing the recording function for customized content.
Music can help organize the day and maintain a stable routine. Playing energetic melodies in the morning facilitates waking up, while calming sounds in the evening prepare for sleep.
How to implement it?
Create a “musical daily schedule” – assign different melodies to specific activities, such as breakfast, a walk, a nap, or evening relaxation.
Use music as a cue for certain activities – for example, rhythmic songs can indicate exercise time, while soothing tunes signal rest.
With hörbert, different playlists can be assigned to buttons, making it easy to switch between them depending on the time of day.
Active participation in music – through singing or playing simple instruments – strengthens social bonds and improves mood. Singing together can even boost cognitive functions and reduce feelings of loneliness (Creech et al., 2013).
How to implement it?
Organize regular family gatherings where seniors can sing their favorite songs together.
Record the voices of loved ones using hörbert, so seniors can listen to them even when they are not physically present.
Traditional folk songs are particularly suitable for seniors to sing along with because they are well-known and easy to follow. With this in mind, we created the Pflege and Pflege Plus memory cards, which contain folk songs recorded at a slower tempo and in a lower pitch to facilitate singing for older adults.
Encourage simple rhythmic exercises, such as clapping along to the beat.
Music can act as a natural pain reliever, helping to reduce chronic pain and improve sleep quality (Kushnir et al., 2020). Soothing melodies lower muscle tension and promote relaxation.
How to implement it?
Play calming music before bedtime – classical pieces that work well include:
“Clair de Lune” – Claude Debussy
“Gymnopédie No. 1” – Erik Satie
“Adagio for Strings” – Samuel Barber
“Nocturnes” – Frédéric Chopin
“Canon in D” – Johann Pachelbel
Eliminate other distractions, such as television, and make music the central element of the evening wind-down routine.
hörbert features a sleep timer function, which gradually lowers the volume and automatically turns off the device after a user-defined time – up to 2 hours.
Music is a powerful tool that can significantly enhance the quality of life for seniors – reducing stress, strengthening memories, supporting daily routines, and fostering social bonds. It is worth experimenting with different types of music and tailoring them to the senior’s individual needs. hörbert offers a simple, durable, and versatile solution.
Creech, A., Hallam, S., Varvarigou, M., & McQueen, H. (2013). Active music making: A route to enhanced subjective well-being among older people. Perspectives in Public Health, 133(1), 36-43.
Jacobsen, J. H., et al. (2015). Why musical memory can be preserved in advanced Alzheimer’s disease. Brain, 138(8), 2438-2450.
Kushnir, T., et al. (2020). Music therapy for chronic pain management: A systematic review. Pain Medicine, 21(1), 61-75.
Särkämö, T., et al. (2014). Cognitive, emotional, and social benefits of regular musical activities in early dementia. Gerontologist, 54(4), 634-650.
* Prices including 19% VAT
You need to load content from reCAPTCHA to submit the form. Please note that doing so will share data with third-party providers.
More InformationYou are currently viewing a placeholder content from Google Maps. To access the actual content, click the button below. Please note that doing so will share data with third-party providers.
More InformationYou need to load content from reCAPTCHA to submit the form. Please note that doing so will share data with third-party providers.
More Information
