Resources & references

This article explains how a music therapy support group was created to relieve some of the strain on caregivers by allowing for greater emotional support through relationships with peers and professionals, and through the increase of meaningful interactions with their loved ones with dementia. The community-based MT support group has been replicated twice within the region, and is a promising model for other communities. 

In this video produced by Shaw TV, Jennifer Buchanan of JB Music Therapy in Calgary demonstrates the effectiveness and impact of music therapy on a 97 year old war veteran who has cognitive impairments due to dementia.

This interdisciplinary book guides the reader through principles, techniques, and exercises for incorporating music into grief counseling, with the end goal of further empowering the grieving person. Music has a unique ability to elicit a whole range of powerful emotional responses in people - even so far as altering or enhancing one's mood - as well as physical reactions. The book uses musical expression to help the bereaved find meaning in loss and hurt, and move forward with their lives. 

Music therapy is often used to improve well-being. A new study hints that for people with dementia, listening to music can induce lingering emotions even if they don't remember listening.

This video presents the work of Kelsey MacDonald, certified music therapist (Canada). In this video, Kelsey provides music therapy sessions to a patient with dementia at Aberdeen Hospital in Nova Scotia. This video includes testimonials from the patient's daughter and the director of the palliative care unit.

Depression, agitation, and wandering are common behaviors associated with dementia and frequently observed among nursing home residents. The results of this study suggest widespread use of music therapy in long-term care settings may be effective in reducing symptoms of depression and agitation.

Music therapy has been a known positive and impactful intervention for adults with memory loss, but previous research and program reports have focused mainly on residents in long-term care facilities. In this study, a caregiver survey was utilized to learn how Music Therapy Respite, a community-based drop-in program, benefited caregivers and their care partner and if this changed based on attendance in a professionally led support group.

 Since late 2013, music therapist Tom Curry has provided individual and group based music therapy services at St. Martha's Regional in Antigonish, arranged through the Arts Health Antigonish (AHA!) community collaboration.

This document describes how music therapy can benefit elderly and their caregivers, particularly in Australia. It explains what music therapy is, its affordability and accessibility in Australia, and how it can improve the quality of life among adults with dementia, anxiety, depression, and neurodegenerative diseases.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of caregiver-implemented music applications on engagement with their care receivers. Music therapy applications are effective in increasing mutual engagement in couples with dementia, and caregivers can effectively facilitate the engagement using music. Furthermore, once the engagement is established, it carries over into visitation without music.

The aims of this study were to determine the effectiveness of group music therapy for improving depression and delaying the deterioration of cognitive functions in elderly persons with dementia. The group music intervention is a noninvasive and inexpensive therapy that appeared to reduce elders’ depression. 
 

This article describes the experience of a registered music therapist in Australia who offered music therapy services to an older adult with early onset dementia. It provides clinical examples of what music therapy is and how it can improve the quality of life of older adults.