Music Therapy and Older Adults: Passive Connection

When someone is at the end of their life, medical professionals often tell family and friends to continue talking to their loved one because hearing is one of the last senses to stop functioning. Through talking, singing, or playing music, there is comfort - not only for the person who is at the end of their life - but for their family and friends as well. It allows time for closure, goodbyes, and connection in these final moments. 

Music therapy is beneficial for individuals who are at the end of life because of their accessibility to sound. Research shows that people can still process auditory information in the final moments of their life. Even if they make no visible reaction to the sound, EEG results show responsiveness to the sound. Music can be an especially effective way to connect with loved ones at the end of life because of the strong connection between music, memory, and emotion. A music therapist might play a song that the family has memories of singing with their dying loved one to allow for bonding in these final moments. 

For an individual in the later stages of dementia, music offers a similar anchor to the external world. As someone progresses in the stages of dementia and loses cognitive functioning, they are more likely to draw inward and lose connection to the external world and the people around them. It may become increasingly difficult to actively engage in meaningful experiences. However, hearing can be a relatively passive experience, which allows an individual at these later stages to still be a part of a music experience and connect to loved ones through music. 

Music is unique in that it can be experienced actively (making music) or passively (listening to music). Because sound can be processed even when an individual might appear unresponsive, music therapy is a wonderful option for optimizing connection and comfort. 

For more information about music therapy and how it might benefit someone you know with dementia or receiving hospice care, feel free to contact us.