Sweet musical memories
Marilyn Richter, 75, of Uniondale, enjoys country music at the Patterson Nursing Home in Uniondale. Credit: Newsday/Danielle Finkelstein
It's no revelation that music is a balm for the human spirit. But when musical memories are harnessed by digital technology into personalized playlists for the elderly and infirm in nursing homes, the result can be a joy to behold.
People who are immobile, detached or uncommunicative often move, engage and talk. They tap a toe, or sing a song or recognize a loved one. That's what Dan Cohen, a social worker from Mineola, found in 2006, when he began using iPods to "give people the jukebox of their lifetime."
People lose so much when they go into a nursing home, often giving up privacy, control and most of their possessions. But the music they love shouldn't be among the missing. Whether Dinah Washington, Frank Sinatra or Tom Jones, music calls up the feeling of life and memories of good times for the isolated and idle.
"Personalizing is the key," Cohen said. That's where digital technology comes in. The iPod makes it easy to create a personal playlist. "When every song is something they like, people are fully engaged."
Cohen's insight has blossomed into Music & Memory, a nonprofit using donated iPods and other MP3 players to improve the quality of life for residents of 11 nursing homes, including two on Long Island. So simple. So profound. So marvelous.
