Today, more than 55 million people worldwide live their day-to-day lives with some type of dementia disease, the most common being Alzheimer’s. Degenerative brain diseases are most often seen in people 65 years or older. Depending on the stage of the disease they are experiencing, senior citizens who live with dementia diseases cannot remember or complete daily tasks. Not only is it painful for the seniors themselves, but it is also very sad for family members when their elderly loved ones do not recognize them.
When I’ve visited my local senior assisted-living community, I have witnessed the emotional anguish surrounding their experience with cognitive decline. Some senior citizens talked to themselves while others stared blankly into the room. There were also seniors who would forget midsentence what they had wanted to say, or would repeatedly ask questions that had already been answered, sometimes many times. At the other end of the lifespan spectrum, young people who are beginning their life’s adventures, often forget about the seniors who can no longer enjoy the activities they once did.
Despite the generational gap between youth and the elderly, music provides a bridge since people can enjoy and share it no matter their age or background. Music we listen to in childhood can still be remembered in old age. Alzheimer's disease initially starts in the hippocampus, the section of the brain responsible for memory, and then spreads to the brainstem, which is responsible for heart and lung control. However, studies have shown that the part of our brain that holds the memory of music is unharmed until before the disease attacks the brainstem. Therefore, music can help dementia patients feel calmer by stimulating the brain, soothing frustration and improving behavioral issues.
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Learning this information intrigued me and inspired my involvement at my local senior assisted-living community. When I was in eighth grade, I began playing piano for the senior community every month. It started as a duet: My younger sister played the cello while I played the piano. We performed classical pieces from Chopin and romantic pieces from Liszt. Other times, we performed familiar songs that spanned from the 1970s pop to current melodies. As our Musical Therapy for the Elderly program grew, more performers joined, some as young as 8 years old. We have also added instruments, such as the violin and Chinese Guzheng. While we perform, senior citizens often smile, dance, sing or restfully close their eyes to our melodies.
Music stays with us throughout our lives and offers an avenue of communication even when a person may no longer verbally communicate, as is the case with seniors who live with advanced stages of dementia and Alzheimer’s.
The most memorable part of each visit is connecting with each senior after the performance. One specific senior has shared her stories of playing the piano as a child before immigrating to America. Each visit, we get to develop close bonds with each senior and receive words of wisdom. Seniors also share their childhood stories with us and talk about music they have listened to over the years.
Regardless of age, we can break barriers by bonding over music to lessen our intergenerational gap. It’s hard for youth to imagine that they, too, will one day grow older. The importance of spending time with any seniors in our lives can hardly be understated. As today’s youth continue to build our future, we should not forget those who have set the tempo of achievement for those who follow.
Eileen Liu is a junior at Menlo-Atherton High School in Atherton. Student News appears in the weekend edition. You can email Student News at news@smdailyjournal.com.
Thank you so much for this beautiful column and your work with seniors, what a gift! You reminded me of a wonderful woman at our church, a doctor who had been in practice for around 40 years when dementia started to impact her. In her last year of life she could not talk but at church she sang every hymn, word for word, always with a huge smile. Your gift brings smiles to people every time you play. Thank you! Your column brought a smile to me this morning. Thank you
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Thank you so much for this beautiful column and your work with seniors, what a gift! You reminded me of a wonderful woman at our church, a doctor who had been in practice for around 40 years when dementia started to impact her. In her last year of life she could not talk but at church she sang every hymn, word for word, always with a huge smile. Your gift brings smiles to people every time you play. Thank you! Your column brought a smile to me this morning. Thank you
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