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| Music & Memory participant Dolores Robertson enjoys music on an iPod. (Catholic Herald photo/Kevin Wondrash) |
MADISON — Whether in the car, at work, at home, on a workout, or in church, music plays a huge role in every day life.
The tones, sounds, melodies, and lyrics people hear and enjoy often stay with them as they get older.
A recently developed program at the Catholic Charities Adult Day Center (ADC) in Madison helps participants get through parts of their days with the help of music.
The program is called Music & Memory.
It aims to bring personalized music into the lives of the elderly or infirm through digital music technology, vastly improving their quality of life.
It is geared toward helping people with dementia, such as Alzheimer’s or frontal-temporal dementia.
Certified facility
The ADC is a certified Music & Memory facility.
While most of the participants are elderly, anyone who uses the services of the center — and suffers from dementia — could take advantage of the program.
ADC staff took part in a training webinar after becoming aware of Music & Memory.
“We download music for the folks, specifically for them, and then when we need it during the day, we can use it for them,” said Lead Therapeutic Specialist Terri Ohmen.
“During the day, especially with the dementia participants, sometimes they escalate, they get anxious, waiting for their rides home . . . and when we see that, we can get out their personalized iPod, and we can go up to them and ask them if they would like to listen to some music,” said Ohmen.
Some iPod times are also held after lunchtime when participants need to wind down in the afternoon.