On Saturday, August 17th, we will celebrate Park Regency's 6th anniversary with a Hawaiian BBQ and luau. The BBQ will be at our normal dinner time, from 4:30pm-6pm, in the courtyard. Following the BBQ, Hawaiian dancers Nadine Lund and her daughter will perform for us along with talented musician Tom Yook. There will be no charge to attend this event. We always have a wonderful time at our luaus. Residents, family, friends, and staff are all invited to attend so please make plans to join us.
To make your reservations, please call Eva at the front desk at 970-461-1100 ext. 83.
Monthly Birthday Party
Come and join us on Friday, August 30, 2013, at 2pm in the activity room for our monthly birthday party with Ragtime Rhythm and their wonderful music. They are one of the residents favorites and we are so glad to have them back for everyone to enjoy. All family and friends are welcome to attend. You will be glad you did.
(Article from agingcare.com, written by Anne-Marie Botek)
Human beings are governed by rhythms. From our pulsing heartbeat, to the cadence of our speech patterns, to when we fall asleep and wake up—countless rhythms drive our existence.
Perhaps this is why we are so mesmerized by music.
"From lullabies to funeral songs, music is a part of our lives from the moment we enter the world, until the moment we leave it," says Diane Snyder-Cowan, director of the Elisabeth Prentiss Bereavement Center for Hospice of the Western Reserve.
She describes a phenomenon called, "entrainment," whereby a person's biological rhythms become synchronized with the music they're listening to.
Entrainment exerts such a powerful force that simply listening to and focusing on soothing music can actually help a person enter a more relaxed state of physical and mental functioning. Once a person enters this state, they're better able to physically and mentally process things—from medications to emotions.
A professional music therapist, Snyder-Cowan is part of a specially-trained group of care providers who use melodies to achieve a particular treatment goal. "Music therapy is all about the intentional use of music to bring about a particular change; whether that change is therapeutic, emotional or spiritual," she says.
Melodies may trump meds
Music therapists work in a variety of different settings, from hospitals to halfway houses.
In the elder care context, they can be found in senior care facilities, rehabilitation clinics and hospice and palliative care centers, helping aging adults manage everything from chronic pain to Alzheimer's disease.
"I've seen the power of music so many times in older adults," says Snyder-Cowan. "It's such a powerful tool and can be accessed so easily."
Music is so beneficial for people struggling with memory loss because it's easier for them to access the memory of a melody than top recall a name or event. "The memory of the song stays with them much longer than regular memories," says Snyder-Cowan.
In some cases, music may even be more powerful than more traditional medical interventions, such as prescriptions and physical therapy.
Harnessing the healing power of harmony
You don't have to be formally trained to help your loved one reap the holistic healing benefits of music.
Snyder-Cowan offers some suggestions for how caregivers and their loved ones can bond over song from the comfort of their home:
Make your own music: If you or your loved one had a passion for playing a particular instrument, don't hesitate to dust off the old six-string and strum out a few chords. "Live music has its own set of special rewards," says Snyder-Cowan.
Travel to another time or place: Music and memory are intimately intertwined. To help your loved one get in touch with their past, try playing music that was popular when they were in their 20s and 30s.
Match tempo to temper: No one genre of music is more therapeutic than another. According to Snyder-Cowan, it's all about personal preference. Pick songs that you and your loved one enjoy listening to. Keeping in mind the principal of entrainment, try to synchronize the songs to the mood you're trying to invoke.
Highlight hobbies: For example, your loved one may not be able to visit the opera like they used to, but that doesn't mean they have to forgo their favorite arias. You can help bring the opera to them by purchasing or downloading some of their favorite performances and playing them.
Still in doubt about the positive effects music can have on an elder's mood, watch this video all the way to the end, and see if it changes your mind:
