An Extra-Ordinary Music Therapy Experience for Memory Care Residents at Artman
A fitting name, Inspiration Café continues to be Artman’s quaint and cozy relaxation retreat where residents, family, and staff, exchange friendly conversations over comforting, sometimes caffeinated, refreshments. Every Wednesday morning, Inspiration Café is full of joy and reminiscence, as memory care residents share, smiles and laughter in Artman’s extra-ordinary music therapy program.
Extra-ordinary is the word that music therapist, Sarah Biedka, likes to use to describe the community at Artman, stating that each member of Artman’s staff wants to make every day special for residents and their families. “That’s what drives me. Even if it is just another Wednesday, yes, you’re going to wake up, have your coffee, and someone might stop by to play the piano, but I’m going to do whatever I can to make it extra. I always say living at Artman is an extraordinary experience.”
Indeed it is, as Sarah engages residents from all levels of care at Artman in music therapy programs, she provides opportunities that benefit their well-being in immeasurable ways. Ready to make this Wednesday extra-ordinary, Sarah and memory care residents gather around the piano, preparing to experience these wide range of benefits. What is Music Therapy? The American Music Therapy Association (AMTA) defines music therapy as the clinical and evidence-based use of music interventions to accomplish individualized goals within a therapeutic relationship by a credentialed professional who has completed an approved music therapy program.
What are the benefits of Music Therapy for older adults?
According to AMTA, music therapy can provide opportunities for:
• Memory recall which contributes to reminiscence and satisfaction
• Positive changes in mood and emotional states
• Sense of control and purpose in life
• Self-awareness
• Anxiety and stress reduction
• Non-medicinal form of pain management
• Creating emotional connections with others • Enhanced memory
• Improved communication
Music acts as a form of sensory stimulation, which provokes responses due to the familiarity, predictability, and feelings of security associated with it. For this reason, music therapy treatment is particularly effective for older adult populations especially those who experience challenges with cognitive and social functioning.
At Artman, Sarah provides music therapy for residents in all levels of care as she gives them the opportunity to experience the many benefits of this beautifully blended form of art and therapy.
Singing Along with Sarah
As memory care residents gather around Sarah’s piano in Artman’s Inspiration Café, she begins her program by connecting music to geographic locations. Unraveling a map across the café table for residents to ponder, Sarah asks the places they’ve been to throughout the United States. As residents reply with the various cities and destinations they recall visiting throughout their lifetime, Sarah points to the place on the map they currently reside.
“We’re here in Ambler,” she says pointing to the extended Philadelphia region on the map. Reflecting the differences between the places residents have been from past to present, Sarah says much of her music therapy programs center around reminiscence. “I use reminiscence as a way for residents to understand who they used to define themselves as, and who they are now,” she explains. “In memory care, it’s shaping reminiscence and helping them ground in reality.”
As Sarah guides the program along, she prompts memory care residents to be present in the moment. Playing the song, “Oh What a Beautiful Morning,” memory care resident, Jenny, smiles as she stands beside Sarah at the piano, waving her hands and singing along.
“Did you have a beautiful morning,” Sarah asks Jenny.
Jenny excitedly replies, “Yes!”
Sarah asks, “What was beautiful about it?”
“People treated me so nicely.” Jenny smiles as another memory care resident, Betty chimes in, “I had a beautiful morning,” she says. “What was beautiful about it?” Sarah asks. Betty kindly answers, “All of you people!”
As the program continues to spread smiles and laughter throughout the café, Artman staff passing through can’t help but join in. A member of Artman’s staff, James, enters and begins dancing along with memory care resident, Lorraine, who while sitting in her chair, dances back and smiles with joy. Familiar tunes bring feelings of comfort as memory care residents shape an understanding of their identities while being an important part of the community.
Sarah laughs as she says she’s quite obsessed with music therapy and when asked what motivates her work within the community at Artman each and every day, she replies, “My motivation has been to make sure that regardless of your context in life, you always receive an outstanding level of compassionate care.” With compassion as her driving source of motivation, Sarah continues to spread light, laughter and a sense of belonging throughout the community.