For Caregivers
Two Thomas Dorseys
I have to start this post with a confession. A while ago, I had a music therapy client request the song “Take My Hand, Precious Lord.” I had known the song for a while, but when I looked up the lyrics this time around, I noticed that the composer listed was Thomas Dorsey. “Huh,” I…
Read MoreFour Reasons To Hire An Entertainer Instead Of A Music Therapist
I’m a music therapist. That means I travel all over the Kansas City area, visiting nursing homes and assisted living communities. I’m always hauling my guitar and a bunch of other assorted musical gear. When you pass by one of the group sessions I’m leading, you’ll probably see a bunch of folks smiling, singing, and…
Read More5 Upbeat Songs To Inspire Dancing For Older Adults
Why Funerals Matter: A Personal Story
I am writing this post from the Oklahoma Panhandle, after a very long drive from my home in Kansas City. Our family is gathering to celebrate the life of my grandmother, who died early Sunday morning. We last made this trip just a few short months ago, following the death of my grandfather – her…
Read MoreThere Is No Magic Music For Alzheimer's Disease – Part Three
There Is No Magic Music For Alzheimer's Disease – Part Two
There Is No Magic Music For Alzheimer's Disease
Cultural Humility vs. Cultural Competence
I’ve written several posts now about connecting as caregivers with older adults who are from different cultural backgrounds than our own. This is a big task, and as I wrote before, we must take one bite at a time. As I was researching this topic, I came across a term that describes something just as…
Read MoreYou Can’t Cheat Death
As the old saying goes, only two things in life are certain: death and taxes. Today is Tax Day in the U.S., so, well, there you go. As for death, though, one North Carolina hospital is telling its potential customers that they can “cheat death.” Besides the inevitable billboards and flyers that go along with…
Read MoreCultural Competence: Vietnamese Older Adults
We’ve been talking about cultural competence here recently. Let’s turn our attention to another rapidly growing ethnic group: Asian Americans. As with Latino Americans, Asian Americans are not a homogenous group. It’s important to know about your clients’ nationalities, how long their families have been in the U.S., why they immigrated here, and how assimilated they are into American…
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