My mother’s eyes always light up when I tell her Clara is coming over to sing. My mom has Alzheimer’s and due to memory loss she does not want to leave her room and has a hard time having a conversation with her family. But she is a different person when Clara walks into the room with her guitar. She sits up and is ready to sing and enjoy the music. Even though my mom often forgets my name, she is able to remember words to songs. It is amazing to see a part of her memory that still functions.
Clara has done an excellent job of finding songs that my mom likes to sing, and also incorporating memory tasks, such as hand movements to go along with certain songs. Clara might introduce a new song and then the next week, she is able to gauge my mom’s memory of either the lyrics or the melody.
It has been awful to watch my mom suffer with this disease, but it warms my heart that there is an activity that excites and engages her and makes her smile. Music is a language that luckily my mother has not forgotten!
K.N., Mill Valley - daughter and caregiver for someone with Alzheimer's - Personal testimonial (Apr 5, 2011)