Assisted Living & Memory care
Why music therapy in Assisted living & memory care?
Improve memory and cognition in people who are experiencing various forms of dementia including Alzheimer's disease, Lewy body dementia, vascular dementia, Fronto-temporal dementia, Huntington's disease, and young-onset dementia.
Improve energy and motivation to exercise, in turn supporting the person's health, longevity, and life satisfaction.
Decrease paranoia and disturbance related to delusional thinking present in people who are experiencing anxiety-related disorders.
Reduce perception of pain in those who are experiencing acute or chronic pain associated with various diagnoses.
Decrease tendency to isolate from family and community, and positively impact the client's motivation to socialize and connect with their support system.
Increase life satisfaction and satisfaction with their living circumstances.
Music therapy provides opportunities for social connection. It is natural for a resident to feel a stronger connection with those around them when sharing in a musical experience. Group music therapy experiences may include group singing and instrument playing, group songwriting, and movement & dancing. Our board-certified music therapist performs ongoing assessment of the needs of your residents, and comes prepared with their needs in mind to help them have a successful and fulfilling experience.
Music therapy also presents benefits in areas of physical, cognitive, and emotional wellbeing.
Physical: We focus on integrating movement-based interventions while creating or moving to the music to help maximize physical mobility.
Cognitive: Strategies for increased cognitive activity are used constantly throughout our sessions to support our clients in maximizing their cognitive capabilities.
Emotional: Musical experiences lend themselves naturally to providing a space for emotional exploration. With the guide of a music therapist, your residents are given the opportunity for emotional integration, emotional healing, and expression.
Music therapy is built on the understanding that expression leads to healing. As clinical therapists, we strive for awareness about the emotional wellbeing of our clients. We celebrate their joys. We hold space for their sorrows. As your residents express themselves through music therapy work, they will be opened to a possibility of healing, growth, and connection.
Music Therapy Options for Assisted Living Facilities
Segue Expressive Therapies offers various types of music therapy services for assisted living and memory care facilities:
Music Therapy for Memory Care Residents: Our memory care groups utilize research-based music therapy models for creating an experience of social connection, sensory stimulation, and emotional support for your residents who are experiencing various forms of dementia. Using client-preferred music, interventions are used to support emotional and cognitive skills such as short-term recall, long-term recall, environment awareness, emotional engagement, and socialization. Additionally, our music therapists utilize the innate rhythmic components of the musical experience for movement and dance.
Music Therapy for Assisted Living Residents: Our assisted living groups focus on wellness, emotional validation, and coping with various challenges that are typically experienced by a large percentage of seniors living in assisted living facilities. Our music therapists strive to create a safe environment for exploring any current difficulties such as grief, loss of independence, health decline, family conflict, and feelings related to their own end of life as applicable. Discussions are supported through musical experiences focused on emotional validation, allowing space for exploring a path forward through conflict, and providing guidance surrounding these issues as appropriate. Our assisted living groups are also focused on reinforcing the sense of community and support within the facility through joint music making experiences.
Size of the group in attendance largely impacts the approach used, and the goals that are targeted within the session:
Small Group (5-10 participants): Small groups are generally run as a support group, including an invitation to each of the participants to share any joys or concerns they are currently experiencing. The musical experience is tailored to current needs of the group, and may focus on using music for promoting expression, validation of emotions, building community, mindfulness and relaxation, or teaching/practicing methods of coping with difficult emotions. Followup for small group sessions can be communicated through post-session notes sent via email per request.
Large Group (10-25 participants): Clinical focus in a large group session is assessed at the start of each session, and is dependent on the overall mood and energy level of the participants in attendance. Participants are invited to collaborate on how to use music intentionally during the session for their own support. The musical experience may focus on community building, emotional validation/expression, mindful practice, mood enhancement, or providing support and guidance through a transition (change in environment, change in health, change in personal limitations).
Grief and Goodbye Music Therapy Groups: Specialized groups may be held occasionally to address grief for residents and staff members concerning loved ones who have passed away. Given the nature of the care provided through assisted living facilities, loss of neighbors and friends occurs regularly and often. Many residents may also be grieving the loss of a life partner, child, or other close relative. Our Grief and Goodbye groups allow for a space to explore this loss in a community setting. The therapeutic experience through music supporting these sessions welcomes healing and relationship completion with those who have passed.
Individual Sessions (room visits): Individual sessions are available as an option for residents who require additional one-on-one support, or who are unable to attend a group session due to physical limitations. Individual sessions may be continuous, or requested as needed. Individual sessions focus on addressing specific needs of the resident, introducing and practicing coping strategies, and psycho-education pertaining to their emotional needs.
Music Therapy for the Workplace: Music therapy has been used increasingly to maintain the mental health of workers in various industries. Attention to the mental health needs of staff working in healthcare and social services is particularly important, due to the high amount of stress and compassion fatigue that accompanies this important work. Music therapy can be a cost-effective option to addressing burnout, providing staff members with a healthy outlet for work-related stress, and ideally decreasing staff turnover. Music therapy in the workplace has been reported to:
Stimulate employees’ creative inspiration
Eliminate employee fatigue
Enhance friendship between employees
Improve employee work efficiency
Improve employees' sense of corporate identity
Reduce employee pain sense
If you are interested in music therapy for your facility, please contact us!
We can provide a free consultation, additional educational services, and a customized quote for your facility based on your current needs.