The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Connections Through Music program returns
The Retired and Senior Volunteer Program of Lake County, known as RSVP, this week began Connections Through Music, a free group music therapy-based program.
In 2017, the Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging and RSVP received a grant from the Lake County Board of Commissioners for a project created to engage older adults with dementia in a music intervention group program at three Lake County senior centers.
The grant was funded through the Lake County Senior Citizens
Collaborative initiative, but the funding ended in December.
Connections Through Music, however, has returned in conjunction with senior centers in Lake County, said RSVP Director Cristen Kane.
“Because the volunteers that were trained to run and have been running this with Benjamin Rose are so
passionate about continuing this, I’m going to help them,” she said. “It only takes four volunteers to operate one six-week session, once a week for an hour.
“The caregiver comes with the patient, with any dementia diagnosis,” Kane said. “We feel the program is just as much for the caregiver as it is for the patient. The purpose is to train and show the caregiver how music can affect their mood and spirit, and how music can be a tool for the caregiver to use at home instead
of a television. Even putting on a radio or a cable music station or a DVD has proven to be effective.”
According to the program, music can alleviate depression and anxiety, improve sleep patterns and quality of daily life, increase bonding between caregiver and loved one, and increase more frequent oral exchanges.
The service agency provides an iPod, from the Ohio Department of Aging, loaded with personal music, Kane said.
“We’re showing how music can make a difference in lives and how to use it at home, and to encourage them after the six weeks is over, how to use music at home,” she said. “The wonderful thing about Benjamin Rose and the commissioners who did the grant is that we were able to purchase all the resources to continue the program.”
Kane detailed the biggest struggle during the year-and-a-half grant period was reaching clients and caregivers who can really
use the program.
“A lot of homes are doing programs on-site, and we prefer that they live at home,” she said. “This is specifically for the children taking care of a parent at home or paid home health care aid nurse. Also, it’s something they can do together that’s positive, without going to the doctor or going to get medication.
“We play music from their genres, and we have strong playlist and we worked with a music therapist to help develop this entire
program,” Kane added.
Each center has laptops and all music is stored and can be changed up. iTunes gift cards were also part of the grant.
“Any type of music that your loved one would enjoy can be played,” Kane said. “We want to help generate memories Seeing the reactions, you see they are having a fabulous time, with the smiling and foot-tapping. It’s been fantastic, and that’s why the volunteers are so compassionate to continue it.”