Ever read or see something and think – I just have to share that? Happens to me all the time. Maybe it’s the teacher in me. Anyway…
This post includes two things I am so excited to share with…
Read moreEver read or see something and think – I just have to share that? Happens to me all the time. Maybe it’s the teacher in me. Anyway…
This post includes two things I am so excited to share with…
Read moreMeet my friend Brian.
Brian is a musician and a music lover, a public speaker, an advocate, and all around fun guy.
Brian has Early-onset Alzheimer’s. (So do about 200,000 other Americans.)
Thankfully, organizations such as the …
Read moreDoes this sound like you?
For starters, you probably enjoy music. Let’s face it. Almost everyone does.
You may have someone in your life – either personally or professionally – who is living with dementia.
You could…
Read moreWhat is your most valuable resource? My answer might surprise you.
Let me tell you a true story.
Years ago I was hired to start a new Events and Activities Department at a huge resort that was going…
Read moreThis week we continue the series Plan Like a Pro. In this series I offer questions for you to ponder as well as some simple advice. Great plans lead to success! Last week’s article focused on Who are the participants…
Read moreI’m wearing my teacher’s hat today. And I’ll tell you up front - I have serious “hat hair.” I spent decades writing lesson plans as a teacher. Along the way I learned a thing or two.
As a school…
Read moreHave you ever planned a family gathering, or perhaps an activity where you work, that involved people of all ages?
It can be challenging right?
The little ones can’t read or sit still for very long.
The…
Read moreWhy am I such a big fan of folk songs, especially for people living with dementia and the senior communities where they live?
There are lots of reasons why I think folk songs are important. But there is one…
Read moreguest article by Donna K. Woodward, CNA
Being a new CNA is challenging. Yes, in training I learned how to make a hospital bed with a mannequin in it. To wash my hands according to procedure. To transfer fellow…
Read moreDo you ever get a little bored singing the same old songs? Come on, you can admit it. But we do it anyway don’t we? We do it because we know that for people living with dementia, there is comfort…
Read moreHelen is intuitive, creative, caring, and smart. She’s the Life Enrichment Coordinator for a cluster of small memory care homes where she has just been given a beginning budget to implement a comprehensive music program. She and I begin talking…
Read moreMargie’s gruff and gravely voice called out from her favorite corner where she carefully perched on the seat of her walker. Stooped and bent over, her arthritic hands were no longer able to hold the songbook she knew so well…
Read moreWhen I was 12 years old my mother wouldn’t let me to go to the junior high dances. She insisted that I wait until I was 13. Trust me, the months dragged on that year in seventh grade until my…
Read moreWere you fortunate enough to have a wonderful mother? I was. My mom and I were best friends. We had voices that matched perfectly and she taught me to sing. She and my dad loved to dance. Sadly, she passed…
Read moreBack in 1953 Harold Mertz was trying to sell magazines.
He had salespeople going door to door. But it wasn’t very efficient. So Harold came up with the idea of mailing subscription offers to everyone. For the price of…
Read moreJeanne from Vermont plays uke in a memory care residence. She suggested: Oh My Darling Clementine and the Battle Hymn of the Republic
Cathy is an activity coordinator from North Ayrshire, Scotland. She added: My Bonnie Lies Over the…
I recently heard from Kim in Nova Scotia, who wrote:
“I find with times changing and our residents coming to us from a different generation, the songs like “Working on the Railroad” and “Bicycle Built for Two” are not…
Read moreI am often asked “What are the best songs for a sing along?”
That’s not as easy to answer as it may seem. There are personal preferences to consider, the mood in the room, and the energy level of…
As I played the first song for the folks in the adult day program I noticed a man in the front row whose hands were moving in time to the music. He looked like he was strumming an air guitar.
…Read moreHas anyone ever told you to “live in the moment?” Or “Be present.”
Living in the moment takes on a whole new meaning for someone who is living with dementia.
Here’s how Jolene Brackey describes it in her…
Read moreHello music friends!
TAP, TAP, TAP
With a friendly smile on my face, I tap two rhythm sticks together.
“Today we’re going to play the drums - without the drum.”
Circling the room, I gently slide a wooden…
Read moreThe holiday season often finds us visiting loved ones and friends, young and old. Sometimes it can seem like an effort to fit those visits in. We may even wonder if they are worthwhile. I hope today's recollection from my…
Read moreThis will be my first Christmas as a Grandma. Leon will be 8 months old! My own son, his dad, never knew my mom, his Grandma. She died 6 weeks after he was born, but not before she got to…
Read moreHave you ever been so tired that a stop light seemed like a blessing? You close your eyes for just a second and take a deep breath, trying to catch a wisp of the tiniest second – or maybe third…
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