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For centuries, music has been an inherent part of our culture and life. While many people think of music as a practice of enjoyment, Sacks (2008, 386) states that music is “...a necessity” for patients with dementia, because it “...can have a power beyond anything else to restore them to themselves.” Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) and related dementia causes irreversible damage to the brain, and since there is no cure, it is not possible to elicit memories that are already lost. Therefore, Sacks (2008, 381) suggests that music can evoke emotional responses by giving patients with AD and related dementia access to the remaining memory of music-related experiences. This connection between music and memory makes music therapy (MT) a feasible treatment for patients with AD and related dementia. As studies show, MT promotes the mental health and well-being of these patients by reducing psychological symptoms and the amount of psychotropic medication prescribed (Ridder et al. 2013); thus, MT improves the patients’ quality of life. MT also has some physiological benefits, including a decrease in blood pressure and increase of appetite and food intake among patients (Takahashi and Matsushita 2006). The unique relationship between people with AD and related dementia and music inspired me to write this article on MT’s potential to promote the well-being of patients with AD and related dementia in nursing homes, particularly in the United States. Since the total number of people affected by AD and related dementia in the US is over 5 million and that number is expected to increase three-fold by 2060 as the population ages (Center for Disease Control and Prevention 2018; Vespa 2019), it is important that we employ more effective treatments that can relieve some symptoms of AD and related dementia to lessen the burden on families.

Effects of Music Therapy on Well-Being of People with Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementia