Sing!

Dad may not know what day it is, or always remember who I am, but he sure loves to sing.  Tonight after supper I played the piano and we sang some of his favorite hymns - - - When the Roll is Called Up Yonder, Sweet By and By, What a Friend We Have in Jesus, Joy to the World. . .  Even though his voice quavers, he still finds the bass line AND remembers the words.  It grounds him . . . and me! 

Music is powerful, especially for individuals with AD and other dementias.  I discovered on the Alzheimer Foundation website that it is because "rhythmic and other well-rehearsed responses require little to no cognitive or mental processing.  They are influenced by the motor center of the brain that responds directly to auditory rhythmic cues."  http://www.alzfdn.org/EducationandCare/musictherapy.html

I'm looking forward to creating more pockets of joy with my dad through music!