Music therapy: The power of music at the time of Covid
Music therapy, among all the resources used by the animators at our Residences for the Elderly, plays a special role; for its accessibility and for the significant positive effects it can generate in terms of psycho physical well-being of those who benefit from it. In this delicate period in which one is far from loved ones, isolated and frightened, music is able to represent a support; a small flame that lights up hope and evokes the memory of home.
Music therapy in residence for the elderly:
James, our operator active at the Residence for the elderly, told us about her experience, with particular reference to the emergency situation we are experiencing and managing with the utmost care for our guests.
Music therapy is a discipline that uses the sound-bodily-musical element to create a relationship between therapist and patient (in our world, between operator and guest) in a systemic process of intervention with preventive, rehabilitative and therapeutic purposes.
Scientific studies recommend the use of the sound-musical element in the context of nursing care in a critical area in daily care practice, also for improving performance and managing stress for operators. In this very difficult time, therefore, the music therapy intervention can be a valuable aid both to improve the quality of life of the guests and to promote the well-being of the operators.
Music therapy reduces states of anxiety and Painful Symptoms:
In particular, receptive music therapy with the bedridden patient is an effective non-verbal communication tool, which favors the reduction of painful symptoms and states of anxiety; it allows you to achieve complex goals as it stimulates, establishes a relationship, facilitates the recovery of consciousness, promotes emotional tuning with the inner world of patients thanks to the balancing action of sound.
The application of music therapy as a sound-relational intervention is therefore not limited to positioning a stereo with the right musical or sound choice! Each patient, in fact, has his own sound experience, his own story that includes sounds, noises, songs from when he was born until today; it is therefore the operator / therapist’s task to carry out an accurate sound-musical and search for songs. Songs that can generate a specific stimulus, a modification, in order to create a state of well-being in the user.
The benefits for bedridden Patients:
The experience achieved at the nursing home was dedicated to the bedridden guests. We carried out the receptive music therapy four days a week, in the room, for about 35 minutes per individual session, in mid-morning or mid-afternoon.
The elderly involved, after a treatment of about 4 weeks, appear more oriented, more serene, require new stimuli, known passages, etc. Some elements emerge from non-verbal communication, even from the most fragile guests; facial expressions appear more relaxed, smiles and handshakes often appear, attention spans and eye contacts improve.
Receptive music therapy against the stress of the operators:
Receptive music therapy, as mentioned, is also an effective tool for managing the operator’s stress. In recent weeks I have been able to observe my colleagues doing very demanding shifts and running non-stop to be able to assist the guests. Particularly at the beginning of the emergency, the stress was palpable and you began to feel tired, physical and above all mental. You can better results with the musical instrument.
We then experimented with a bit of music therapy, initially accompanying our work with “on demand” songs, from classical music to relax the muscles and contain stress to melodic songs to promote concentration, to then arrive at jazz, pop, for give structure and balance, improve the mood and nurture group cohesion and communication.
Two months have now passed since then and we can say that music has been for all of us that “nourishment” we needed; a “mom” who hugged us, the energy that made us continue our work in the best possible way. Today we are a little more serene, and day by day we find a beautiful, united, strong and harmonious group.
