Alive Inside -How Music Touches the Soul

What this episode covers

Alive Inside is a program that brings music to people living in the late stages of Alzheimer's. Music reminds us that we are vibratory beings.  Music can bring out memories long thought forgotten because of Alzheimer's. Hearing familiar tunes can reawaken the mind & allow someone to engage again. When someone you love struggles with Alzheimer’s, dementia, Parkinson’s, or another form of cognitive or physical impairment, it can be a tremendous challenge to communicate and find ways to help them rediscover the world. A personalized playlist can help you bridge that gap and help to reconnect with one another. Creating a personalized playlist takes some detective work, but it's fun, so dive right in!  Each individual's response is unique, and your loved ones' ability to benefit from music will depend in a large part on the particulars of his or her cognitive impairment.  But, chances are good that she or he will find more pleasure in life once again. Additionally, you will regain a peaceful and relaxing way to renew your relationship. Creating a personalized playlist can be easy if you're able to ask your loved one about their favorite music. If that isn't an option then you'll have to become a detective. If you're like me, you'd assume that the best way to achieve this goal would be to pick songs from their particular era. That didn't work AT ALL with Mom but after conducting some internal sleuthing, I did come up with a handful of songs she did connect with. Steps for Creating A Personalized Playlist Here's how I started. First, I vividly remember some songs that I heard when visiting my maternal grandmother. It wasn't a huge leap to guess that if Moms mom liked these songs, Mom might as well. This was especially easy to assume since I enjoy them and still recall the words. Once I found those on iTunes (Spotify works too) I used the recommendation function to search for other songs. All the songs I remembered had a similar style so my final step was to go to the years she was in high school and listen for other songs in that same style. You can see the results here ---> Short dancing clip. More ways to enjoy time with your loved one Where Else To Find Fading Memories Be sure to share this podcast with other caregivers! Thanks. You can find us on social media at the following links.  Facebook    Instagram    Twitter Also, check out our new YouTube channel where you can see us in action!