Calgarians with dementia invited to discover the power of music

Local seniors' group says music can help stimulate memories for those living with dementia.

A new campaign called Play It Back is encouraging people of all ages to connect through shared music experiences that celebrate the enduring spirit of people living with dementia.

The campaign, from StillMe, runs during Alberta Seniors Week, from June 1 to 7.

“Music is so important for people living with dementia,” said Barb Ferguson, executive director at Alzheimer Calgary.

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“It brings joy and it helps people calm down. We call it ‘memory magic’ – and it’s not magic by any stretch, but it is really phenomenal to witness people with dementia listening and enjoying music."

On Thursday, Ferguson attended a music session with a singer who played her guitar in front of a group of people living with dementia at Seton’s Club 36.

The audience sat quietly at first, but eventually people started to move with the rhythm.

“Certain songs evoke memories from people,” Ferguson said. “You’ll notice maybe their foot starts tapping a little bit, then they start to clap along – sometimes they’ll even get up and dance.”

“It really helps them go back to a time in their life that they remember – and it’s meaningful for them."

StillMe spokesperson Jill Petrovic says the idea is that even with a diagnosis of dementia, that patient is still the same person.

“StillMe is really about destigmatizing dementia,” she said. “Helping people see the person and not their symptoms.

“We really believe that the person can really have a lot of moments of powerful connection, they can still enjoy activities, they can still enjoy relationships, but a lot of times they experience too much isolation after a diagnosis.”

Petrovic says StillMe focuses on intergenerational pairings through music, where younger people can connect with a person living with dementia – because music has the ability to create a powerful bond, no matter how old a person is.

“You can connect with older folks, you can connect with people with cognitive disabilities – like dementia -- and music is a way to do that to bring people together," she said.

“Through our program, we do ‘music in memory’ with students,” Petrovic said. “They’ll talk about their favorite songs and share why that was their favorite song. We want people in our community to connect with the seniors – and younger people to connect with the seniors in their life – over music."

For more information, you can visit StillMe.ca.