Alive Inside! Music & Memory
Music and Memory is a powerful program that elicits memories from deep within the brain. Black Mountain Neuro-Medical Treatment Center is a Certified Music and Memory facility, one of two in Western North Carolina. While Dementia and other debilitating diseases take away almost every facet of one’s individuality, having a personalized playlist of music can bring joy, peace, happiness and memories back to a person.
Positive benefits of this program include an enjoyable, fulfilling person centered activity, reduces resistance to care as well as agitation and sun-downing, enhances social engagement, fosters a calmer social environment, reduction in anti-psychotic and anti-anxiety medications, uplifts the spirit, improved speech, increased awareness and increased cognition. Nonverbal residents have been known to begin to sing along with their music. This is a phenomenon due to the part of the brain specified to music being a different part than language. Neurons in the brain begin to fire and connect when familiar or personalized music begin to play.
With headphones, you can dampen over stimulating background noise, creating a world of which that person remembers the positive emotions they felt when hearing the song long ago.
iPod Shuffle
These power packed music players are central to powering the Alive Inside/Music & Memory program. Their compact size (smaller than a book of matches) and ability to clip onto clothing make them ultra-portable and convenient for use.
Earbuds/Headphones/Speakers..
The only other components required are earbuds, speakers, or headphones. Individual preferences are noted and appropriate components are paired to enable the joy of music to enhance life quality for the residents of BMNTC.
Just Press Play…
BMNTC has partnered with Warren Wilson College students to gather ongoing information regarding residents likes, dislikes, and preferences for the music they are most fond of. Music playlists are organized and downloaded by BMNTC certified Music & Memory personnel and then are made available to residents of the facility.
The Therapeutic Benefits of Personalized Music
No one wants to end up alone and isolated in a nursing home. It’s hard enough to lose someone you love to Alzheimer’s, dementia, or intellectual disabilities. It’s terrifying to think you could end up there yourself, someday. But there’s reason to hope for a better life as we age. The Black Mountain Center Foundation through it’s support of the MUSIC & MEMORY℠ program, helps people at the Black Mountain Neuro-Medical Treatment Center who suffer from a wide range of cognitive and physical challenges to find renewed meaning and connection in their lives through the gift of personalized music.
The approach is simple, elegant and effective: BMNTC has certified professionals that establish personalized music playlists, delivered on iPods and other digital devices, for those in their care. These musical favorites tap deep memories not lost to dementia and can bring residents back to life, enabling them to feel like themselves again, to converse, socialize and stay present.
Music & Memory’s work is rooted in extensive neuroscience research. The results can be nothing short of miraculous.
Meet Henry
Help Us Reach More People Like Henry
Henry’s remarkable re-awakening is not unique. In hundreds of MUSIC & MEMORY℠ Certified Care Facilities, like the Black Mountain Neuro-Medical Treatment Center, this program nationwide has helped thousands of individuals struggling from dementia and other chronic cognitive and physical impairments reconnect with family, friends and caregivers through our personalized digital music program.
Ongoing research and evaluation of Music & Memory’s work in care organizations shows consistent results:
- Participants are happier and more social.
- Relationships among staff, participants and family deepen.
- Everyone benefits from a calmer, more supportive social environment.
- Staff regain valuable time previously lost to behavior management issues.
There is growing evidence that a personalized music program gives professionals one more tool in their effort to reduce reliance on anti-psychotic medications.
Our goal is to make this miraculous form of personalized therapeutic music the gold standard in care for Western North Carolina—and to assist families and caregivers to bring personalized digital music to their loved ones at home.