Retirement – or life in a retirement community – is a fact of life for many of us as we age. The question is – how can we make retirement life better? 25 years ago this month, my grandfather passed away from Alzheimer’s. While modern medicine has made great strides in Alzheimer’s research and treatment, I often wonder what else could have extended his life or at least slowed the Alzheimer’s process. Through my passion for music, I believe I have found one possible answer.
Whether playing an instrument, singing, or just tapping your toe to the beat, the benefits of making music are boundless and well documented! While music has been proven to benefit everyone, recent research shows it can be especially helpful for people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or dementia. With the help of music therapy, or even active participation in music making, many Alzheimer’s patients see a boost in brain activity which can result in many benefits.
According to Music Therapy in the Treatment of Dementia: a review article in the National Library of Medicine, “The usage of customized music playlists in medical settings to address symptoms of patients affected by dementia, is on the rise. Music is frequently included in everyday routine as an adjutant therapy to drug treatment. People with severe dementia have proven that – with sensory stimulation and custom music – it is effective at managing their psychological and behavioral symptoms”.
Other benefits include the improvement of cognitive function, improved memory, and pain management, just to name a few.
Local Evidence
In fact, I have recently had the privilege of seeing these benefits up close – right here in Phoenix, Arizona. The Sun City Oro Vally Community Association recently purchased a Roland GP609 digital grand piano from me. This active adult community hosts a myriad of events for their residents monthly, including dances and music events with a band. After the piano’s delivery, I spoke with Joe Bongiorno, one of the organizers of music events, and he told me how amazed he was at the reaction memory care patients had to the facility’s music program. Music events give their residents a reason to get up in the morning and motivation to get ready for the upcoming dance or music event. There’s no question that the Roland piano will improve their residents’ quality of life.
Another recent client who purchased a Roland digital piano from me, is a resident at another assisted living facility here in Phoenix. He told me that so many residents and their guests enjoy listening to him play that the facility is considering purchasing a baby grand piano for their recreation hall. He doesn’t consider himself an accomplished player, either. He just loves sitting down at 2:00 in the morning and playing his Roland privately through headphones. He also enjoys the Roland’s recording feature, which he has used to record guests, save their performances on a flash drive, and played them back later whenever he wanted to listen again! His Roland piano allows him to enjoy his music whenever he wants – privately or with friends – and the benefits are boundless!
These examples prove the studies are true. Having a piano or a digital piano in your retirement community truly can be life changing for your residents and their guests! Imagine hosting activities with smiling seniors surrounding your piano! You could conduct a sing along, celebrate birthdays, or help your residents build vital relationships with other residents as they enjoy musical events together. You can even offer piano lessons as an activity! It’s never too late to learn!
Why Your Retirement Community Needs a Piano
Because it’s lightweight and never requires tuning, this Roland digital grand piano can go anywhere you need it – even outdoors!
Modern digital pianos offer countless benefits that make them a great choice for your retirement facility. Enjoy hours of your residents’ favorite songs using the player piano feature. Record resident pianists and preserve their performances for friends and family. Provide players with a safe, quiet space anytime they need it with a good set of headphones. …and relive your favorite musical moments with others as you listen to these recordings over and over again.
Even better, modern digital pianos never need tuning or maintenance! Just plug them in and play until your heart’s content! They are lightweight and can be easily moved. You can even use them like big Bluetooth speakers playing your favorite song lists from Spotify, YouTube, Pandora and more!
Science may have proven that having a digital piano in your retirement community will bring countless mental, emotional and physical benefits to your residents, but – once you get one – you’ll see the proof in their smiling faces. Why not contact us today and let us help you find the perfect piano for your retirement home? I have seen with my own eyes what a difference this will make in your facility and I can’t wait for you to see it too.
