Refreshing playlists by adding new songs or re-evaluating existing ones can help keep personalized music fresh and relevant for your Music & Memory participants. By considering the needs of the individual listener, you can update existing playlists to maximize effectiveness. Here are some tips to help you identify when to refresh or expand playlists: Change in care goals. Could calming music help an individual achieve care goals, such as lowering high blood pressure of preventing sundowning? Could an upbeat playlist inspire an individual with poor circulation to walk and keep active? What kind of songs could help your participant get…

We recently shared how to identify when to refresh or expand a participants’ playlist. Here are a few ideas to help you get started refreshing playlists effectively: Use available resources in the Care Community. Consider the assessment tools available in the Care Community that helped you create your participants’ original playlists, including the Artist Matrix and the Music Assessment Questionnaire. You can use these tools as a starting point to discover new songs. Keep track with any playlist changes or requests with the Playlist Change Request Tracking Form. Switch it up by cycling songs in and out. Rather than deleting…

We continue to discover powerful new applications for Music & Memory’s personal music program. Now there’s evidence-based research that demonstrates how favorite music may ease onset of delirium—a major health risk for older adults during hospitalization that can trigger a cascade of medical complications. Memphis gerontologist Dr. Mark Hammond considers therapeutic use of music to be an essential part of the delirium-prevention mix. “Any music that is meaningful to the patient, the playlist of the person’s life, connections to childhood or adolescence—bridging neurological pathways can bring the patient back to reality,” he says. For her doctoral thesis, Dr. Kari Johnson,…

We want to share three quick tips to improve your Music & Memory program’s efficiency- and a fun way to enhance your participants’ experience with personalized music! These suggestions will help you run your Music & Memory program smoothly and avoid common implementation obstacles. Don’t forget to share your results with us! Take Advantage of New Staff Training Don’t let staff turnover get in the way of your Music & Memory program. Be one step ahead of the game by registering new staff for certification training. Registration is easy, and your annual renewal fee covers the cost for one year, so no additional payment is necessary. Get everyone on board…

Music is so portable. We carry our digital music players, phones and tablets with us everywhere, yet the same is rarely true for those in our care who transition from one setting to another. An individual with dementia or other cognitive or physical conditions may transition through multiple care settings, such as from their home to a nursing home, or from a hospital to a hospice. When individuals are discharged from a MUSIC & MEMORY® Certified Organization, they may lose their music and no longer enjoy the benefits access to personalized music brings. Let’s make it a goal to partner with other…