Residents at Juniper Village at Williamstown sat in rocking chairs on a recent afternoon, with earbuds in place, as they listened to music with hopes the songs will bring back some memories.
Recently, Juniper Village Wellspring Memory Care Community in Williamstown unveiled a program that utilizes music to aid residents who have been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, or other forms of dementia.
There are currently eight people in the program, and everyday for about 15 to 20 minutes they sit together and listen to personalized playlists.
Each of the residents in the program has Alzheimer's, or a stage of dementia. None of the cases seem to be the same, so they each react differently when they hear a familiar song.
"What happens with Alzheimer's is the brain shrinks, and different parts of the brain control different parts of the body, memory and speech," said Marie Crocca, Juniper Village executive director. "Music tends to take them away, back to their memories."
The music can also help improve the quality of life, relieve boredom, enable memory, reduce or eliminate agitation and provide restoration of identity.
Read more of this story from the South Jersey Times.
Photo by Stephanie Maksin of the South Jersey Times.
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