Is it possible that using music for health improvement can have a part in increasing mobility in the elderly?
Many elderly people who are limited in their movements find they are in a catch 22 situation, in that their relatives, friends, carers etc., sometimes feel that this is the ’status quo’ and shouldn’t be changed. So in endeavoring to show ‘kindness’ people will often attempt to do everything for them, even when they are actually capable, with a little encouragement of doing it themselves. As a consequence muscles become even weaker through lack of use, joints stiffen, movement deteriorates and more help is given/needed and so the circle continues to the detriment of the ‘victim’.
Of course every situation is different depending on the persons general health and ability but sometimes a positive and pro-active approach can make a tremendous difference not only to the mobility of a person but also to the general well being or ’spirit’ of that person.
Just to illustrate by one example. Louise and I were presenting one of our interactive music workshops in a residential care home for the elderly. When we had arrived every one had been sitting watching the television with varying degrees of disinterest. There were probably twenty residents in the main lounge and we had enjoyed a ’singalong’ with them using song sheets with some old party favourite choruses and the mood had already lifted. We introduced a short excerpt from a classical piece to encourage them to relax and get their breath back.
