by Bev Foster, MA, BEd, BMus, ARCT, AMus
Music accompanies us on our journey and connects us to people, places and events in our lives. It is cross-coded into life passages and is a powerful stimulus for the brain, both emotionally and cognitively. When it comes to memory care — when semantics, comprehension, working memory and processing are getting muddled and lost — music reaches into places where neural activity still may be intact or least somewhat active.

See this video with Gladys Wilson and Naomi Feil

Several reasons exist why music is a natural choice in supporting people living with dementia.

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Joyce Gross, a resident at Pinehurst Healthcare & Rehabilitation Center, cuddles and talks softly with a pair of companion robo pets. Her smile is simply contagious and grows broader with each stroke of the cat and dog.

After reading an article about the use of companion robo pets in a skilled nursing facility with its residents who have dementia, John Barrett, of Pinehurst, wanted to make a program of this kind a reality here in Moore County for residents like Gross. Barrett had already witnessed the impact of making visits with his own therapy dog firsthand and how the visits left residents asking for more time with the dog.

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