There are many benefits of art and music therapy for people living with dementia. These therapies are becoming increasingly recognized as effective because they can facilitate cognitive engagement, emotional expression, and social interaction. As a bonus, they serve as creative outlets.
What are art and music therapy?
Art therapy is a technique used by mental health and human service professionals to improve individuals’ emotional well-being through artistic processes that promote creativity. This therapeutic technique provides an alternative way to express and interpret emotions that they have difficulty expressing verbally. Music therapy is used to improve quality of life and reduce stress. This can be utilized by anyone; a person does not need to have musical skills to enjoy the activities and benefit from them.
Benefits of Art and Music Therapy
- Emotional Expression: Music and art provide individuals with outlets to express emotions and feelings, especially when it is hard to voice those emotions. Activities that provide a creative outlet for people living with dementia are beneficial in promoting relaxation and reducing anxiety, agitation, and depression. This emotional expression can improve overall well-being.
- Social Interaction: Group activities encourage socialization, which can reduce feelings of loneliness and isolation. Group sessions create a sense of belonging and community by facilitating these social connections and shared experiences between individuals. They can also improve interpersonal skills.
- Motor Skills Improvement: Artistic activities, such as painting, and musical activities, such as playing an instrument, can enhance motor skills and coordination. Art therapy can enhance blood flow, build dexterity, and improve muscle coordination through exercise in a person’s hands and arms. Music therapy can improve mobility and balance with the rhythmic movements required to play an instrument. This physical engagement can be very beneficial to overall health.
- Memory Recall: Songs and art forms that are familiar to an individual with dementia can evoke memories, which can enhance emotional well-being and create connections to the past. Memory pathways can be reinforced through these activities, because they involve recalling artistic techniques or lyrics and melodies. When these pathways are reinforced, there is a possibility that memories from the past that are tied to significant life events might resurface. This reconnecting with personal identities and histories can give individuals a sense of purpose and boost their self-esteem.
- Cognitive Stimulation: Creative activities, such as art and music, can stimulate cognitive function, including attention, memory, and problem-solving skills. These activities require focus, which can activate different parts of the brain and potentially slow cognitive decline.
Implementation Strategies
- Assess Individual Needs: It is important to understand what each individual needs. This is accomplished by conducting assessments of each person to understand their cognitive abilities, preferences, and emotional states before being introduced to art or music therapy. The information gathered can act as a guide for selecting activities that will keep the individual engaged.
- Create Personalized Activities: Encouraging participants to freely express themselves through art can help them discover what types of activities suit them best. This can be done by offering different types of art sessions, such as crafting and painting, rather than only one. This approach can be applied with music therapy as well by leaving out multiple instruments and lyric sheets, allowing the person to choose how they participate. Knowing which songs are familiar to which individuals can also be helpful.
- Use Sensory Experiences: Music and art engage different senses. Varying the sounds in music or utilizing different textures in art can be used to enhance enjoyment.
- Utilize Professional Guidance: Bringing in certified art and music therapists can help create personalized activities and ensure that each person is receiving the best therapeutic process that will benefit their cognitive and emotional needs. It can also be useful for caretakers to receive training from professionals in art and music therapy techniques to enhance their interactions with participants.
- Create a Stimulating Environment: Creating an environment that is safe and welcoming for art and music therapy sessions is important for stimulating a person’s creativity. It is also important to have the necessary materials easily accessible, such as painting materials and musical instruments. This way, they feel empowered to select their course, fostering creativity.
- Create Group Sessions: Social interaction can be extremely beneficial. Create group sessions where everyone can participate in the art or music therapy together.
Tips for Success
- Encourage Participation and Family Involvement: Using simple or open-ended projects in the therapy sessions is important for encouraging participation and inspiring creativity. Making a task too difficult could lead to a person shutting down or not enjoying the art or music. It is also important to encourage family involvement, because their presence can foster connections and provide emotional support.
- Adapt Activities: It is important to be flexible to ensure each individual is enjoying themselves. People’s moods and energy levels change, so creating backup plans and adjusting activities accordingly can go a long way in improving their emotional well-being.
- Be Patient: Allowing individuals to express themselves freely and move at their own pace is important in creating an environment where they feel safe and comfortable.
- Celebrate Achievements: Regardless of the outcome, it is important to acknowledge the efforts made and celebrate them to boost a person’s morale and self-esteem. Creating a positive environment where they feel celebrated for their creativity is an important aspect of art and music therapy.
Conclusion
Enhancing the quality of life for people living with dementia is one of the most important aspects of a caretaker’s job. Art and music therapy are valuable tools to accomplish this. These therapies can significantly improve an individual’s well-being, and, with careful implementation, they can create positive experiences for individuals while giving them creative outlets.
Sources
[1]https://www.oceanhillsseniorliving.com/the-benefits-of-art-therapy-and-how-it-helps-seniors/
[2]https://www.seniorhelpers.com/sc/greenwood-aiken/resources/blogs/2023-05-08/
[3]https://www.alz.org/help-support/caregiving/daily-care/art-music
[4]https://alzheimersdisease.net/resources/music-and-art-therapy
[5]https://dementiacaring.com.au/the-power-of-music-and-art-in-dementia-care/
[6]https://www.psychology.org/resources/what-is-art-therapy/#:~:text=Art%20therapy%20is%20a%20tool,find%20resolutions%20to%20those%20issues.
[7]https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/8817-music-therapy
