Music and Memory Pilot at Sumner Place

10/24/2017

​​​​”The beautiful thing is, music can be like a time machine. One song – the lyrics, the melody, the mood – can take you back to a moment in time like nothing else can.” – Lisa Schroeder

Sumner Place in Lincoln, Nebraska has been selected as the pilot Vetter community for training and implementation of the Music and Memory Program through a grant project that is a partnership between the American Health Care Association and Brown University. The pilot will begin in January 2018 with trainings for the Sumner Place team members, along with Cameo Rogers from the Home Office.

This pilot program will allow for Sumner Place to become a Certified Music and Memory Facility, joining Westward Heights in Lander, Wyoming, a Vetter community that has already independently achieved this certification and has already implemented the use of Music and Memory.

The Music and Memory program provides access to personalized music through the use of iPods and headphones for individuals with dementia; it has been implemented in all 50 states, Canada, Curacao, United Kingdom, Australia, Ireland, Israel, Netherlands, Switzerland, South Africa, and Germany (Music and Memory, 2017). There have been multiple program evaluations completed at universities across the United States; researchers have observed team members and family participants report observations of participants having elevated mood, higher levels of engagement, and note positive environmental and facility culture changes. To find out more visit: https://musicandmemory.org/.

If you would like to watch Music and Memory at work please consider viewing Alive Inside, a documentary about the implementation of iPods with personalized music for individuals with Alzheimer’s Disease and other causes of Dementia. The film shows remarkable results and speaks to the true power of music to awaken one’s soul and bubble up long-term, deeply stored memories. To see more about the film: http://www.aliveinside.us/#land.

You can use your iN2L system to view a clip of the Alive Inside film that features a man named Henry. Here is the web address to type in on the iN2L to view the clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fyZQf0p73QM.

​We look forward to sharing from our experiences with this program and for continued involvement in the years to come!

​​​Reference:

Music and Memory. (2017). Music and Memory Certified Organizations. http://musicandmemory.org/about/certified-music-and-memory-nursing-homes/