Music Therapy Should Be Conjunctive Treatment for Dementia...

Music Therapy Should Be Conjunctive Treatment for Dementia Patients Music Therapy Should Be Conjunctive Treatment for Dementia Patients Evidence based practice shows that music has had many positive effects on those with dementia when used as a form of treatment. In fact, some of the benefits that have resulted from music therapy are currently unachievable by other interventions. Music therapy is deï ¬ ned as â€Å"controlled use of music and its inï ¬â€šuence on the human being to aid in physiological, psychological and emotional integration of individual during treatment of an illness or disability† (Sung, Lee, Chang Smith, 2011). Patients with advanced dementia display a variety of unfavorable behaviors that are unpleasant and difficult to†¦show more content†¦Today, the treatment of dementia is based on psychotropic medications, which come with many side effects and adverse reactions. Medication can be beneficial in many cases, but too often with dementia pati ents it is used to treat a symptom. In this type of situation it is important to balance the old symptoms with the new symptoms and risks of the medication being used, and decide for whose benefit the medication is being administered. There is a wide-range of non-pharmacologic interventions that have been considered for treatment of dementia. The most effective intervention has been environment modification, which has shown to enhance functional abilities of the patient (Sung, Lee, Chang Smith, 2011). In long-term facilities this includes incorporating familiar items from home to familiarize a new environment, in order to reduce anxiety, and promote relaxation. One of the most frequently researched interventions is the use of music as an environmental modifier, and it has shown management of behavioral problems (Sung, Lee, Chang Smith, 2011). It is a very significant finding, considering the fact that music has no known side effects (Wall and Duffy, 2010). Overall, patients withSh ow MoreRelatedDeveloping Management Skills404131 Words   |  1617 Pages 2002, 1998 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Prentice Hall, One Lake Street, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458. All rights reserved. Manufactured in the United States of America. This publication is protected by Copyright, and permission should be obtained from the publisher prior to any prohibited reproduction, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or likewise. To obtain permission(s) to use material