Influence of Music Therapy Positive Therapeutic Change in Aged Care Residents - Term Paper Example

Literature Review Introduction Music has for centuries been known for its social functions which include; offering relaxation, entertainment, helping people to connect with their emotions and communicating a particular message or theme. Nevertheless, over time, studies have shown that music is therapeutic in nature and can be particularly used in the treatment of ageing patients. This paper seeks to examine whether music therapy is a viable option to influence positive therapeutic change in aged care residents. Through a critical review of various relevant literatures, this study will examine the effect that music therapy has on elderly people with disorders associated to advanced age. This paper will particularly examine how music therapy can help reduce depression, withdrawal, paranoia and agitated behaviour among elderly patients. It will also examine the role that music therapy plays in the rehabilitation of elderly patients with memory loss and physical disabilities related to motor functioning. Music Therapy as Remedy for Palliative Care People are social beings and will react to familiarity, Yehuda (2009, p.56) attests to the fact that people will respond to tunes from their cultures as they are common to them and would struggle or reject response to music from unfamiliar cultures. O’Kelly (2008, p.285) denotes that care givers of palliative patients need to relax from stressful situations paused by the nature of their jobs and suggests music as a remedy for stress relief, however the scope of this paper will only dwell on the effect that music therapy has on the elderly population. Yehuda (2009, p.56) postulates that caregivers of palliative patients who have tried out music therapy for their patients have had difficulties in getting a breakthrough especially when patients respond to music from unfamiliar cultures to those of their own. Dingle, Gleadhill and Baker (2008, p.194) found that music therapy amongst drug addicts across all age groups worked best when participants were engaged with others of familiar status in terms of the taste of music, as they could have some sense of shared interest. This therefore stresses the fact that some commonness and knowledge of music by the participants plays a great part in determining whether therapeutic effect can be achieved. Vella-Burrows &Singley (2010, p. 40-41)argue that singing among the elderly offers therapeutic results that translate into improved health conditions of the ageing population that amongst other benefits are helpful in reducing agitated behaviour. However the two point out that there is need to train caregivers to fathom the needs of their patients better, they also found that patients response to music therapy was personalised and responded better when they listened to music in groups. In a study conducted by Chang, Huang, Lin and Lin (2010) it was established that elderly patients suffering from dementia show improved behaviour when exposed to soothing music thereby giving nurse aids breathing space especially when presented with such music during meal times. Spiro (2010, p. 893) observes that music acts as a remedy to elderly patients suffering from dementia in the sense that it reduces cognitive deterioration, improves state of patient’s mind and behaviour besides acting as an avenue for entertaining the patients and keeping them occupied. Music has the effect of bringing out emotions in the elderly who may otherwise not express them freely. Listening to music can facilitate the non-verbal expression of emotions reaching peoples’ inner feelings (Lee, Chan &Mok 2010, p. 2685). Whereas there is overwhelming evidence that music can serve therapeutic functions among the aged to produce effects of improved health conditions, researchers Chang, Huang, Lin and Lin (2010, p. 947) are of the view that more research needs to be done in the area to seek more evidence to prove this fact beyond doubt. A similar study on the effects of music therapy as an intervention for elderly patients established that music therapy can play a significant role in physical rehabilitation. Weller and Baker note that over the past two decades experienced music therapists have provided physical rehabilitation interventions nevertheless the effectiveness of their interventions have been questioned. Since the emergence of music therapy in the 1940’s, music therapists have worked with occupational therapists and physiotherapists to help in the physical rehabilitation of elderly patients (Weller & Baker 2011). Furthermore, in study conducted by Rochester et al (2005)it was established that music therapy helped to facilitate physical coordination nonetheless, three experimental studies showed that the melodic and timing continuity helped to facilitate the coordination of movement. Instrument playing was also found to assist in enhancing muscular strength and joint. A considerable number of research studies suggest that music helps to enhance the functioning of motor cortex networks (Thaut 2005; Bernatzky et al; Jeong & Kim 2007). Moreover, music helps to stimulate automatic functions of lower limb and gait movement. Music therapy also induces the reorganisation of muscular, spatial and temporal functions which may be absent especially among aged individuals with neurological disorders. For aging individuals with memory disorders and withdrawal symptoms Thaut (2005) established that music therapy can help to enhance long-term memory and engagement. Moreover, a study was conducted by Tom Naess & Even Ruud, to disclose whether music therapy is a viable option for treating patients with Paranoid Schizophrenia. The study saw the patient undergo four stages namely; relational music therapy, resource-oriented music therapy, performance-oriented music therapy and community music therapy. The first stage saw the patient move from her peculiar and withdrawn behaviour to a more interactive state. In the later stages of the experiment the patient became more aware of herself and gradually became more secure by taking her own initiatives (Naess& Ruud 2007, p. 167). Moreover, she gained confidence to stage a performance of her music skills to her fellow students, and family but however showed reservations to performing in the presence of staff and caregivers. In this case, music therapy led the patient to recover from her poor mental state of health and become capable of living a healthier more meaningful life (Naess& Ruud 2007, p. 16). A qualitative experiment was conducted to examine whether Neurological Music Therapy (NMT) can help in improving the executive functions and emotional adjustment in elderly patients with traumatic brain injury. The study examined the immediate effects of NMT on cognitive functioning and emotional adjustment with among these patients. Two groups were recruited to participate in the experiment as mentioned; control participants were recruited from persons with acquired brain dysfunction, including traumatic brain injury and toxic exposure referred for neuropsychological evaluations and were given one of the assessment measures and then directed to a quiet room to rest for 30min, after which the same instrument was re-administered. Treatment participants for the study were recruited from persons with traumatic brain injury, cerebrovascular accident, brain tumor and seizure disorder. The treatment group was involved in four separate sessions (attention, memory, executive function, and emotional adjustment), conducted on four different days (Thaut et al 2009 p. 407- 408).Results yielded from this study the suggested that the patients showed improvement in executive function and overall emotional adjustment. The patients also showed lessening symptoms of depression, sensation seeking, and anxiety. In conclusion, this exploratory study provided preliminary evidence that music-based cognitive rehabilitation can provide improvement in the mental flexibility aspect of executive function with brain-injured participants. These findings provide a first basis for additional research and advances in the NMT learning, perception, executive functioning, and plasticity in brain rehabilitation (Thaut et al 2009 p. 414).Based on the findings of the literature reviewed in the above section, it is evident that music therapy can be a viable option to influence positive therapeutic changes in aged care residents. However, the effectiveness of music therapy is dependent on how music therapy is administered. There is therefore need for further research to be conducted so as to conclusively determine how music therapy can be used in the treatment of elderly patients. Conclusion This paper has highlighted the findings of various relevant literatures on the whether music therapy can be a viable option to influence positive therapeutic changes in aged care residents. Based on the findings of literature reviewed in this paper, it is evident that music therapy can be a viable option to influence positive therapeutic changes in aged care residents. Nevertheless, in order for music therapy to be effective there are several factors that should be taken into account. For instance, it is essential to consider the patient’s taste in music and the type of condition that they are suffering from (Dingle, Gleadhill & Baker 2008). However, there is need for further research so as to conclusively determine how music therapy can be used in the treatment of elderly patients (Thaut et al 2009; Naess & Ruud 2007; Weller & Baker 2011). References Bernatzky, G., Bernatzky, P., Hesse, P., Staffen, W., & Ladurner, G. 2004, “Stimulating music increases motor coordination in patients afflicted by Morbus Parkinson”, Neuroscience Letters, 361, 4–8. Chang, F., Huang,H., Lin, K. & Lin L, 2010, ‘The effect of a music programme during lunchtime on the problem behaviour of the older residents with dementia at an institution in Taiwan, Journal of clinical nursing, Vol 19, No. 7-8, pp. 939-948. Lee, Y., Chan, M. &Mok, E., 2010, ‘Effectiveness of music intervention on quality of life of older people’, Journal of advanced nursing, vol 66, No. 12, pp. 2677-87. Jeong, S., & Kim, T. 2007, “Effects of a theory-driven music and movement program for stroke survivors in a community setting”, Applied Nursing Research, vol 20, no. 3, pp . 125–131. Spiro, N., 2010, ‘Music and dementia: Observing effects and searching for underlying theories’(ed.), Ageing and Mental health, vol 14 , no. 8, pp. 891-899 . Skingley, A. &Vella-Burrows, T., 2010, ‘Therapeutic effects of music and singing for older People, ’Journal of art & science, vol. 24, no. 19, pp. 35-41. Dingle, A., Gleadhill, L. & Baker, F., 2008, ‘Can music therapy engage patients in group cognitive behaviour therapy for substance abuse treatment?’ Drug and Alcohol Review Vol. 27, pp. 10-196. Thaut, M., 2009, Neurologic Music Therapy Improves Executive Function and Emotional Adjustment in Traumatic Brain Injury Rehabilitation, Blackwell Publishing Ltd, New York. O’Kelly J, 2008, ‘Saying it in song music therapy as a carer support intervention’, International journal on palliative nursing Vol. 14, No 6, pp.281-286. Naess T & Ruud E, 2007, ‘Music therapy with an Institutionalized Woman diagnosed with Paranoid Schizophrenia’, Nordic Journal of Music therapy Vol. 16, no. 2, pp. 160-171. Rochester, L., Hetherington, V., Jones, D., Nieuwboer, A., Willems, A.M.,Kwakkel, G., & Van Wegen, E. (2005). The effect of external rhythmic cues (auditory and visual) on walking during a functional task in homes of people with Parkinson’s disease. Archives of Physical and Medical Rehabilitation, 86(5),999–1006. Yehuda, N. 2009, ‘A commentary on Blaker’d and Grocke’s Article’, Australian Journal of music therapy, Vol. 20. Weller, C. & Baker, F., 2011, “The role of music therapy in physical rehabilitation: a systematic literature review”, Nordic Journal of Music Therapy Vol. 20, No. 1, pp, 43–61. Read More