March 02, 2015
Carrie Antlfinger/AP
The goal of Juniper Village's music therapy program is to allow the patients to relive memories through song.
Eight residents at Juniper Village Wellspring Memory Care Community in Williamstown, Gloucester County are participating in a new music and memory program, NJ.com reports.
Everyday for about 15 to 20 minutes, residents who have been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, or other forms of dementia, sit together and listen to personalized playlists.
The hope is that the songs will allow the patients to relive memories.
"What happens with Alzheimer's is the brain shrinks, and different parts of the brain control different parts of the body, memory and speech," said Marie Crocca, Juniper Village executive director. "Music tends to take them away, back to their memories."
The music can also help improve the quality of life, relieve boredom, enable memory, reduce or eliminate agitation and provide restoration of identity.
The Peer Outreach Club at Washington Township has been working with Juniper to help bring in more iPods. Donations of iPods or MP3 players, iTunes gift cards, money or over-the-ear headphones can be brought to the village.
