Weak lungs makes you FIVE times more likely to die from heart disease.
Do you know how strong your lungs are?
Your doctor probably checks your blood pressure every time you visit, but not your lung strength – even though the simple and painless test to measure it literally takes a single second.
If you’re currently caring for someone with dementia, a new study points to the power of music to help lessen symptoms and improve quality of life for your loved one.
Researchers from The University of Helsinki in Finland studied the effects of standard care versus musical interventions on the cognitive abilities, physical health, and mental state of patients with dementia.
Eighty-nine dementia patients, along with their caregivers, were divided into one of three intervention groups:
10 weeks of singing sessions 10 weeks of coaching in music listening Their standard care routine
In the singing group, a music teacher played familiar songs, while patients were encouraged to sing along, and participate in vocal exercises and rhythmic movements (hand clapping, playing maracas, etc.).
In the music listening group, participants listened to familiar songs and participated in discussions about the music, including what memories, emotions, and thoughts the songs evoked. They were also shown visual cues like album covers to stimulate memory.
Both groups also included regular musical exercises for patients to practice at home.
Music works wonders on memory, mood, and more
The researchers found that, compared with usual care, both singing and music listening groups displayed improvements in:
Ability to recall past personal experiences Attention General cognition Mood Orientation (awareness of who they are, where they are, and time)
Singing also helped improve patients’ short-term memory and working memory (the process that enables planning, problem solving, reasoning, and comprehension).
And listening to music had a significant positive effect on patient quality of life.
Below is a table that details the main themes of each of the study’s weekly coaching sessions. Feel free to experiment with some of these ideas with your loved one.
IMAGE SOURCE: Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences
More ways to build a stronger, sharper brain
There are also a few more simple ways you can help your loved one reduce the symptoms of dementia (and these are things you can also start doing today to protect yourself from cognitive decline). These include:
Last but certainly not least, if you’re a caregiver, be sure to find resources and help for yourself as well.
Caring for a person with dementia is extremely taxing, and can be one of the most difficult things you’ll ever do. Though it might seem “selfish” to take time to care for yourself, you truly need—and deserve—support!
Notably, in addition to helping the dementia patients themselves, the singing intervention in the study I told you about above also enhanced caregiver well-being. Considering singing is something anyone can do, it’s well worth a try. (Don’t worry about whether or not you have a “good” singing voice. Just find a song you like and sing along!)
You can also check out this free caretaker training course from the World Health Organization: https://www.isupportfordementia.org/en. It includes a section on ways to cope with the demands and stress of caring for someone with dementia.
Remember, while it’s important to help out loved ones in their time of need, it’s equally important to make time to rest, recharge, and take care of yourself.