Melodies and memories

[Revitalise1963]

For many of us music is therapeutic - in lifting our moods, helping to express our emotions and as a form of relaxation. For people living with dementia it can be a particularly powerful tool. Research shows that music is neurologically special, and can often touch parts of the brain and trigger memories and emotions that may have appeared lost. BBC Radio 3 has announced it is to feature a special one-off programme on Sunday 15 October, blending music with the voices of people living with dementia. The programme promises to be a moving demonstration with an important message: music can be a powerful tool for people with dementia. If you do tune in, we would love to know your thoughts on the programme.

[MAS_Nurse]

Thank you Revitalise charity for this information. It is so true that music can be a powerful tool. It would be interesting to see how many of our members tune in and what they think of it. Do any of the members know what time it is though on Sunday?

[AliBee1]

Thank you for telling us about this. It was very interesting. My feedback would be that it was very interesting but too long. If it was not for catch up I could not have listened to it all as I do not have the luxury of having 2 hours just to sit and listen to something. My husband has a rare form of dementia with a parkinsonism element. The programme advised that there was research into music triggering movement in those suffering from Parkinsons. During the time I was listening to it on catch up later in the afternoon my husband suddenly stood up and went for a little potter with his zimmer frame, with no particular aim in place, and then he came and sat down again. This woud not normally happen as he only usuually moves with prompting.

[Sarah_S]

My mother-in-law who is going through diagnosis for dementia is finding it difficult to use technology now and hasn't listened to music for years. I bought her a Simple Music Player from Unforgettable.org, and it is perfect for her. I downloaded some music, and she remembers song titles and lyrics better than names of family members! It has really improved her quality of life.