The power of music provides comfort to those with dementia
People living with #dementia often suffer from isolation. But
a nursing professor from the University of Victoria has been working to change
that.
Dr. Debra Sheets is the lead researcher for a Victoria choir
that began in January called Voices in Motion. It is for people with dementia
and their family caregivers. High school students from St. Andrew's Regional
High School and Pacific Christian School in Victoria also participate.
Doctors exploring how music benefits health.
Sheets found that choir participants with #dementia as well
as their caregivers showed some
improvement in their ability to recall words from a list.
"The neat thing about music is it taps into a part of
your #brain that's often not touched as much by dementia,"
For the study, both caregivers and participants with
dementia agree to monthly tests administered by the researchers. These tests
aim to detect changes in mood, mental functioning and psychological measures
such as grip strength and respiratory strength.
"When you have #dementia, it becomes even more important
to have an activity in which you participate. You become part of a community.
It's not about therapy, it's about maintaining an identity and a sense of who
you are. Where you're not treated as someone who's got dementia."
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