[Dixielandjazz] Re: Music in Nursing Homes

[LARRY'S Signs and Large Format Printing]

Understand the difference between music therapy and entertainment.  While at
Missouri School for the Blind I worked occasionally as a music therapist as
well as a music teacher.  Music therapy is prescribed by a medical doctor
just like a pill.  You get a goal that the Dr. wants to achieve.  For
example a person that can't move his hand.  It might be that sessions would
be set up so that the person might shake something or beat a drum and make
the necessary movement.  the range of motion is measured and the therapy is
documented and returned to the doctor.  This is usually done in a fun way
and does have results.  This has application in language, movement or
sometimes for psychological reasons.  Often this is done without the patient
really being aware that he is receiving therapy.  There was an extensive
team at MSB and music was only a small part of the overall therapy program.
Music therapy seems to be most used with people who are emotionally or
mentally impaired.  Because I taught at the high school level I really
didn't do a lot of it and was used more with the younger kids and was
usually carried out by the other therapists on the staff such as speech or
occupational therapists

That does not mean that music to be of value in this area has to be
prescribed but if you could get the medical staff to "prescribe" or
recommend some activities with your music such as hand out tambourines or
maracas or sticks to hit together to encourage body movement and sing alongs
for language therapy plus the entertainment value to bring people out of
their shells and to minimize depression they might do it for you.

Yesterday I played a nursing home gig and one lady was using a lot of very
foul language and was very angry.  After a few tunes she calmed down and
became just another member of the audience.  It was quite a change in that
lady.
Larry Walton
St. Louis
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Steve barbone" <barbonestreet at earthlink.net>
To: <baglady4 at juno.com>; "DJML" <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
Sent: Tuesday, May 10, 2005 9:01 PM
Subject: [Dixielandjazz] Re: Music in Nursing Homes


> (Nancie Beaven) baglady4 at juno.com at baglady4 at juno.com wrote:
>
> > I have been a volunteer at Nursing Homes for the past 7 years, spending
most
> > of my efforts in the *Free Spirit* (Alzheimer's)units.
> >
> > I have witnessed incredible communication with the precious residents
because
> > of the music.  From comotose to communication.  Sometimes the
> > resident will remain in a cognitive state for a period of time even
after the
> > music has ended.
> >
> > I always tell the family to stay for the music presentations, because
they
> > will get their loved one back for at least the hour or so that the music
is
> > playing.  We play OKOM, big band and songs from the 20's, 30's, and 40s
and
> > some show tunes.
> >
> > Some family members bring old 78's into their loved one's room to play..
> > and they enjoy communication with their mother, father, aunt,
grandmother for
> > as long as the music is playing.
> >
> > It's a pity the nursing homes don't have a budget for this all important
> > entertainment/therapy!!!!!
>
> Some do have small budgets,($200) especially around Christmas Time when
> family members visit.
>
> But these are the gigs OKOM bands should do free, if there is no budget.
The
> first ones will surprise you since you see all sorts of semi-comotose
> patients. There is little response except in their eyes. And if you are
not
> prepared for it, you may be shocked, the first time you see dementia.
>
> We regularly visit a few nursing homes run by charities. They get
virtually
> no entertainment. They probably do not have much time left on earth and we
> notice few familiar faces the next time we visit.
>
> I think I posted about last December's concert at one of these. The old
> black man in a wheel chair. He spoke to me as we were setting up two years
> ago. He was a dancer, knew/danced with Honey Coles. Knew and danced with
the
> first Lindy Hoppers, Frankie Manning and Norma Miller. That first time we
> spoke about Ellington, Basie, Chick Webb, The Savoy etc. He said next time
> I'll bring my tap shoes. I thought he was kidding.
>
> He was there a few months later. As we were playing (quartet) I could hear
a
> drumming rhythm, like a click click. I look around and there he was in his
> wheel chair, with feet squeezed in to the tap shoes, tapping away in
perfect
> time. We later did Tea For Two with appropriate breaks for him. It was
very
> moving to see this nearly 100 year old man tapping from a wheel chair,
with
> what were probably his only remaining personal possessions.
>
> We just did a gig there last month. Sadly, he was no longer there, having
> passed away a couple of weeks before. We (the quartet) are better for
having
> known him.
>
> Cheers,
> Steve Barbone
>
> PS. The nursing homes we visit have some of the most caring employees I've
> ever met. Woefully underpaid, and serving patients who don't have a pot to
> piss in, they cheerfully make the patients as comfortable as they can.
> Like I said, money is not a motivator. Motivation comes from within.
>
>
>
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