Music Brings Alzheimer's Patients Out of the Box

When Dotty started singing I realized that the Alzheimer's box is bigger then I ever thought or imagined.By Bob DeMarcoAlzheimer's Reading RoomWhile Dotty and I were watching -- TREME on HBO (the show is set in post Katrina New Orleans), One of the main characters Antoine (Wendell Pierce) was walking down Bourbon street when he came up on characters Sonny (keyboard) and Annie (violin).They were playing a song that I had never heard. Amazingly, my mom started singing along with him.How to talk and communicate with dementia patients effectivelyAntoine starts singing the song. As he does this on TV, Dotty starts singing along with him.I was so stunned I kinda short circuited. I asked Dotty, do you know that song? She said yes. I asked, do you know the name and she said no.Later that night I decided to see if I could find the segment onYouTube. I did.I brought Dotty over to the computer the next day and said listen to this. As Antoine started singing I said to Dotty -- sing it. She started singing -- "but I don't stand a ghost of a chance with you."Second time around she sang in perfect tune and continuedeven after I clicked the stop button on YouTube -- "I love you oh so madly and I don't stand a ghost of a chance with you."I asked her again do you know that song?She asked, was that Frank Sinatra? I did some research. AGhost of a Chance was written in 1932.It was first sung and made famous by Billie Holiday. Later it was modernized and re-recorded by Frank Sinatra.Alzheimer's Pa...
Source: Alzheimer's Reading Room, The - Category: Neurology Tags: alive inside alzheimer's alzheimer's care dementia care health life news music music for alzheimers patients singing Source Type: blogs