Music Therapy Should Be Conjunctive Treatment for Dementia Patients
Music Therapy Should Be Conjunctive Treatment for Dementia Patients
Evidence based practice shows that music has had many positive effects on those with dementia when used as a form of treatment. In fact, some of the benefits that have resulted from music therapy are currently unachievable by other interventions. Music therapy is defined as “controlled use of music and its influence on the human being to aid in physiological, psychological and emotional integration of individual during treatment of an illness or disability” (Sung, Lee, Chang & Smith, 2011). Patients with advanced dementia display a variety of unfavorable behaviors that are unpleasant and difficult to manage, not only for medical personnel but also for the family. Throughout the progression of dementia the patient’s behavior worsens. Research findings pertaining to the use of music therapy are overwhelmingly supportive of the incorporation of music into the patient’s care plan. It is important for those in the medical field to seek new treatments and interventions to help patients, and further implement these findings into the patient’s plan when the opportunity arises. The question of interest for this paper is: In elderly patients, do daily treatments of music therapy compared to no music therapy decrease symptoms and behaviors of patients with dementia?
Problem Identification
Dementia is a disease that is characterized by impairment in memory, intellect, judgment, language, insight and the deterioration of social skills (Wall & Duffy, 2010). There are three stages addressed by Wall & Duffy, (2010): In the first stage, the patient declines in cognitive functions, is irritable and restles...
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People with dementia may have problems with short-term memory, keeping track of their belongings, keeping up with plans, remembering appointments or travel dates. Many dementias are progressive. This means that symptoms start out slowly and gradually get worse with time. Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia are diagnosed based on careful medical history, a physical examination, laboratory tests, and the characteristic changes in thinking, day-to-day function and behavior related to each
Dementia is a significant health issue in Australia (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2012) (AIHW 2012). Whilst Dementia primarily affects older members of the community, it can also affect young people and has a significant influence on overall health and quality of life (AIHW 2012). The type of Dementia is a determinant in the severity and development of symptoms in individuals (Department of Health 2013) (DoH, 2013). The gradual, progressive and irreversible nature of Dementia has a considerable social and physical impact not only on the individual, but also on family and friends.
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... and duration varies from person to person. It depends on multiple factors, including the age of diagnosis and other medical conditions. The signs and symptoms start with cognitive disturbance as all other forms of dementia begin. We should refrain from being prejudiced and judgmental because of not taking the time to truly understand this disorder and how it may affect one’s life. Education and patience are the best ways to tackle this issue. In this paper, relevant topics involving dementia were discussed. Part one covered the pathology and staging of dementia. Part two explained the most common types of dementia that many people are diagnosed with. Part three summarized the treatment methods used to manage the disorder. We should apply a professional, respectful, and empathic approach while maintaining specific culture traditions to achieve a successful outcome.
Trials have been done on children with autism, cancer patients, and those with substance use disorders. In music therapy trials done on various cancer patients, significant positive affects have occured. Data collected from a study at Wake Forest Hospital in Winston-Salem, North Carolina showed significant improvements. The patients was diagnosed with Leukemia. The music therapy type was PME and the patient showed improvements in relaxation and heart rate normality (Boehm). Music therapy not only facilitates the brain and allows the patient to relax and be in touch with their
It is estimated more than 5.3 million people have Alzheimer’s disease (AD). AD is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States, with a new case of AD being diagnosed every 70 seconds. For women living over the age of 55 the risk of developing AD is 17%. For men, at the same age, the risk is slightly lowered at 9% (LeMone, Burke & Bauldoff, 2011, p.1510). Due to these staggering statics, AD continues to be an area of great interest and concern for the medical community. Although the cause of AD is unknown and there is currently no cure, many advances have been made in the treatment of AD. Treatments for AD are now expanding out from simply providing traditional pharmacological interventions to incorporating alternative treatments as well. Music therapy is one of the alternative treatments now being implemented for individuals suffering from AD. This research paper will discuss what Alzheimer’s disease is, what music therapy is and how music therapy is implemented in the treatment of AD, as well as the benefits and barriers of music therapy in AD patients
Music therapy works because of its three fundamentals: the application of systematic thinking through music theory, the creation of an individualized treatment plan, as well as the patie...
Worldwide, 35.6 million people have dementia and there are 7.7 million new cases every year (WHO 2012). There are ma...
The participants were recruited based on the qualifications of being older than 65 years, scoring 0.5-1 on the Clinical Dementia Rating scale, and a primary caregiver willing to volunteer in the study (Cheung, Ho, Lai, Lai, & Wong, 2015). Staff for the study, consisting of social workers and occupational therapists, were recruited by posters (Cheung et al., 2015). The staff took a training course and all came up with a protocol for the music-with-movement intervention, with the aims to promote the wellbeing of people with dementia, and also their primary caregiver. A music therapist constructed various songs for specific activities for the people with dementia to engage in with their
Johnson, J. K., & Chow, M. L. (2015). Hearing and music in dementia. Handbook of Clinical
What is music and how does it help patients? Using music helps when the day is tough, and my body is full of anxiety and unhappiness. People like to say, that music can calm the savage beast, according to Snyder, & Linguist, (2009) This literature review will discuss how
Dementia is an organic brain syndrome which results in global cognitive impairments. Dementia can occur as a result of a variety of neurological diseases. Some of the more well known dementing diseases include Alzheimer's disease (AD), multi-infarct dementia (MID), and Huntington's disease (HD). Throughout this essay the emphasis will be placed on AD (also known as dementia of the Alzheimer's type, and primary degenerative dementia), because statistically it is the most significant dementing disease occurring in over 50% of demented patients (see epidemiology).
Introduction This assignment critically discusses dementia, a widespread disability among older adults today. It provides an introduction to dementia and analyses its prevalence in society. The various forms of dementia are elaborated with descriptions of dysfunctions and symptoms. Nursing Assessment and Interventions are provided in the further sections which discuss actions nurses should take while evaluating patients and treating them.