EMERYVILLE — What began as youngsters taking part in music for his or her mother within the hopes of protecting her declining reminiscence sharp has blossomed right into a commonly held group occasion within the East Bay.
The occasion occurs at Watermark by the Bay, an Emeryville senior dwelling facility. Its affect has been profound.
“Singing – I adore it, I adore it, I adore it!” enthused resident Cathy Sousae.
Music is a robust factor. It will possibly make reminiscences, and generally, it may well convey again reminiscences. Even for many who wrestle to recollect, like Cathy, who has dementia.
“I adore it once they sing with us,” she mentioned.
Her sons William and Jim, together with William’s spouse Jennifer, present as much as sing and play music together with her and the group each Thursday.
“Once I see her, it simply provides me a variety of pleasure to see her celebrating,” William mentioned.
Quite a few research have proven music can assist enhance temper, habits, and even cognitive perform in some folks with dementia. William says he sees that first-hand together with his mother. Whereas she struggles with dementia, she would not miss a beat with the music – and sometimes remembers all the lyrics to songs.
“The music language is the language that speaks to her essentially the most. Verbal language much less so,” he mentioned. “In order her situation has modified, the music has not. She will be able to nonetheless keep in mind the phrases to the previous songs. She responds to the music, perhaps much more so than she did earlier than.”
William says music has turn out to be an necessary method the household can join with Cathy.
“I really feel like I am connecting together with her once more,” he mentioned. “That is a part of the problem of anyone with dementia; how do you join with that individual? You used to do it verbally. You used to do it by planning and speaking in regards to the previous and speaking in regards to the future. However impulsively, these issues do not work anymore. They do not have that means. So it is arduous to attach with mother. However the music is clearly a robust connection.”
The weekly dose of music initially began as a Sousae household ritual. Nevertheless over time, increasingly memory-care residents began to point out up. Now the Sousae household singalong is a community-wide occasion, stuffed with contributors keen to attach.
“There is a e book referred to as ‘I am Nonetheless Right here.’ Typically, folks with dementia – there is a sense that they don’t seem to be there anymore. That e book that I learn type of satisfied me that they are nonetheless there, and that individuals are there. I expertise everyone there as there and current, and we’re having an expertise along with this trade,” William mentioned. “My spouse and I’ve seen that even individuals who cannot sing the phrases, they’re tapping, they’re collaborating, they’re responding.”
Even with those that you like essentially the most, it may be arduous to search out methods to attach when that individual has dementia. However by their shared love of music, the Sousae household has discovered a technique to bridge that hole.
“It is simply a good way to speak with mother,” William mentioned. “There are some issues by dementia that you just lose. There are some issues I’ve seen in her that she good points. Her appreciation for music and dancing has elevated. In that sense, she’s rising in her love and pleasure of life with the music and dancing. So what does it imply? It means all the pieces.”
