In Linda
Noelker’s blog entry on Huffington Post, she reviews Alive Inside: A Story of Music and Memory, shown at
the Cleveland International Film Festival this past March.
Noelker writes, “The
compelling film by director Michael Rossato-Bennett portrays the power of music
to engage and enliven these nursing home residents to the amazement of staff
and family members. The idea was Dan Cohen's, a social worker who found a way
to bring residents to life using an iPod with a personally customized playlist.
Once the headset is on and the residents are listening to their favorite songs
from the 1940s or 50s, their eyes open wide, smiles appear, and some even clap
their hands or tap their feet.”
This movie is
another example of the growing list of research on how music and the arts
benefit people with Alzheimer’s. Watching
the movie is an inexpensive activity to enjoy and a nice reminder of the power
of music; as a caregiver, try using music to connect with your loved one. If
your family member is in a home, you can try to advocate for a focus on music
if it doesn’t already exist.
Is there a song
that connects you and your elderly family member? Or, a song that they’ve been
drawn to? What songs do you think will stick with you forever?
