Music therapy may ease distress for dementia patients in hospital wards

Medical Xpress / Anglia Ruskin University / Frontiers in Psychiatry ^ | July 16, 2025 | Naomi Thompson et al

[ConservativeMind]

Getting dementia patients to try to sing, to listen, or even tap to music can calm them down in a manner similar to medicines.

[ConservativeMind]

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[moviefan8]

So are they going to play Ozzy, Rob Halford, or Rammstein?

[Deaf Smith]

Baby Shark on a loop.

[moviefan8]

Oh god no.

That should be played at Gitmo.

[frank ballenger]

Only after Yoko Ono.

And a family lawsuit for playing her “music.”

Cruel.

[tumblindice]

Grieg’s ‘In The Hall of the Mountain King?’
“Nurse Ratched! The patients are all het up!”

[lee martell]

I don’t have dementia (yet), but I believe this article about the benefits of Music easing distress, at most any time.
One of the songs I only need to think about, would be
“Theme of A Summerplace”, conducted by Percy Faith. 1959.

All I have to do is to hear that gentle piano and flute staccato intro, followed by the willowing violins, paving the way for those proud and noble trombones during the bridge, each note about as long as a breath of air. And I feel X number of times more calm than I did a minute before.
I was about 4 years old when I first heard it, and have never forgotten how good it sounded.

[lee martell]

Edvard Grieg was quite a talent.
Peer Gynt was his best know piece outside of Norway, but he also wrote ‘tons’ of short piano concertos, as you probably already know. I just discovered him 15 yrs ago.

[moviefan8]

Maybe this.

The Palace of the King of the Birds (Twickenham Session 1969)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6WnMPJjbng

[RushIsMyTeddyBear]

I formed a small church ensemble to play for elderly shut-ins some years back. You could tell the music brought them joy....including my relative who had alzheimer’s.

[moviefan8]

Full Version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTHUXuM8ZV8

[UnwashedPeasant]

I think people in general — but especially dementia patients — can be comforted with music from their youth.

[Red Badger]

Yeah, AC/DC!.....................

[Red Badger]

Yeah, AC/DC!.....................

[Sirius Lee]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVovq9TGBw0 Ozzy - Crazy Train

[MayflowerMadam]

My FIL’s hospice nurse said that playing or singing recorded hymns is extremely helpful with Alzheimer’s / dementia patients. Some who don’t recognize family members, and don’t speak at all, often will sing along and become calm.

[1Old Pro]

If music didn’t affect the brain somehow, it would not have developed.

[bgill]

Ozzy pissed on the Alamo. No thanks. But, it’d be just my luck.

[LilFarmer]

When hubby and I were taking care of his dad with dementia, we got him a MP3 player box (easy to operate, with just one giant on off button). We put about 500 of his favorite songs and hymns on there, that we copied from his own CD collection. We also had recordings of his late wife playing piano in church.

That was probably the one most amazing aid we got because it calmed him so much. Early on he could operate the player himself, but even when he became non-verbal, he still responded to the music with humming and movement. Even lowered his BP (which would skyrocket when he was agitated)