For Caregivers
Songs for Labor Day
Labor Day provides the perfect opportunity to ask seniors about their work experiences. Use the playlist below to inspire discussions about work, as well as the joys of the retirement years. Which songs are your favorites?
Read MoreBook Review: "Music, Memory, and Meaning"
You’re going to want to check out this great new reference book from our music therapist colleagues Meredith Hamons, Tara Jenkins, and Cathy Befi-Hensel, especially if you are caring for older adults in your family or as an eldercare professional. Click here to get your own copy (affiliate link). What did you think? Let us…
Read MoreLessons Learned From A Sprained Ankle
Earlier this week, I was picking up some children’s Tylenol from CVS for my feverish first grader. Her little sister (age 3) was unhappy that I wouldn’t let her buy candy, too, which necessitated me carrying her out of the store. A distracted, crying preschooler in arms, I stepped off the curb wrong and ended…
Read More3 Questions You’ll Have After Your Parent With Alzheimer’s Becomes a Widow
When your parent has Alzheimer’s disease, you can’t help but worry about their well-being. However, when a loving spouse is acting as caregiver, you can at least take comfort in the fact that they’re cared for in everyday life. But what happens when that husband or wife dies? Dealing with a parent’s death is never…
Read MoreMusical Time-Saving Tip for Caregivers of People with Dementia
You’ve experienced this before. You care for someone with dementia, and you need them to get up and move somewhere. They need to get out of bed to go eat breakfast, or they need to go out to the car to get to a doctor’s appointment. But the dementia is taking away that person’s ability…
Read MoreBenefits of Music on Move-In Day: Intangible, But Very Real
What’s the value of a smile? Of a dance? Of finding one’s place in a new community? Imagine you’ve just moved to a memory care community. It’s disorienting, to say the least. Your daughter is right there by your side, and everyone is really nice, saying, “Bob, how are you doing?” “Bob, would you like…
Read MoreNew Humorous Verses for "Let Me Call You Sweetheart"
If you’ve been around eldercare for a while, you’ve probably heard the song “Let Me Call You Sweetheart.” Despite the fact that this song, published in 1910, is older that almost all of the clients we serve, it remains a popular choice, simply because many, many people know the melody and the words. In terms…
Read MoreBook Review: "Songs You Know By Heart"
As a music therapist in eldercare, I appreciate any resource that encourages more music-making among elders and their caregivers. Sadly, many caregivers are put off by the false assumption that they “can’t sing” or “aren’t musical.” Likewise, it can be difficult to know how to encourage older adults to participate in singing and moving to…
Read MoreStay for a Little While: A Song Celebrating Young Caregivers
Our friend Bakhus Saba, who cares for his mother who has dementia, has released a new song with the message that children bring smiles and happiness to loved ones living with dementia. This song has an uplifting, cheerful feeling that indeed matches the in-the-moment happiness that I often see in the experiences of older adults…
Read MoreTop 10 Songs About The Weather
I don’t know what it’s like in your neck of the woods, but here in the Midwest, the weather is a popular topic of discussion. It doesn’t matter whether it’s rainy, snowy, or a perfectly sunny day – the weather is a pretty reliable conversation starter. Here’s a collection of 10 songs about the weather,…
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