This Research Topic is the second volume of Music Therapy in Geriatrics. Please find the first Edition here. Demographic projections estimate that by 2050, the number of people aged 65 and older in the world will soar to 1.5 billion, approximately one-third of the total population. Medical and technological advances have certainly contributed to enhanced longevity. However, with advanced age, there is a concomitant elevation in the prevalence of chronic diseases. The Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion in the U.S. found that in 2012, 60% of older adults reported at least two of the following conditions: Cancer, heart disease, emphysema or chronic bronchitis, stroke, diabetes mellitus, and Alzheimer’s disease. These diagnoses carry the extensive costs and burdens of serious illnesses, and also mean that family caregivers of loved ones with these conditions experience significant challenges, placing them at extreme risk for a variety of stress-related illnesses and afflictions, and accounting for high rates of morbidity and mortality.

"With the rapid growth of the aging population, an increasing number of persons are diagnosed each year with age-related disorders. The use of music can do much to enhance the plan of care for aging adults. The clinical and musical expertise of a board-certified music therapist is always preferable. There are times, however, when a music therapist is not available and healthcare workers may find music interventions useful for clients--especially those who may be experiencing pain or stress. The primary purpose of this handbook is to educate music therapists and healthcare professionals about the uses and evidence-based benefits of music therapy practices with older adults--those in hospice care, with Alzheimer's disease, in health and wellness programs, and in intergenerational programs. For each of the adult populations, the handbook includes chapters on practical introductory information, reviews of related music therapy research, and clinical applications of evidence-based music therapy practice. The applications are hierarchically ordered for healthcare providers and board-certified music therapists who have advanced skills in music and working with older adults. With these research-based applications, music can become an integral part of the comprehensive care plan for adult clients." -- Publisher's description.

In music, people can make themselves heard, even if they cannot communicate verbally or words have long lost their meaning. Music (therapy) helps people find a way out of their isolation, find pleasure in making music together, or enjoy soothing sounds in an individual therapy setting. Its individualized design makes it adaptable for a wide range of moods that older people experience in everyday life, and can help in difficult situations. Creative work in music therapy is always professionally grounded - subtly, playfully, or expressively, and is used to underscore mood. This book describes music therapy objectives and methods for older people. It provides many tips for specific sequences of interventions, for using instruments, choice of music, and related discussion topics.

Dementia is the most significant health issue facing our aging population. With no cure to date, there is an urgent need for the development of interventions that can alleviate symptoms of dementia and ensure optimal well-being for people with dementia and their caregivers. There is accumulating evidence that music is a highly effective, non-pharmacological treatment for various symptoms of dementia at all stages of disease progression. In its various forms, music (as a medium for formal therapy or an informal activity) engages widespread brain regions, and in doing so, can promote numerous benefits, including triggering memories, enhancing relationships, affirming a sense of self, facilitating communication, reducing agitation, and alleviating depression and anxiety. This book outlines the current research and understanding of the use of music for people with dementia, from internationally renowned experts in music therapy, music psychology, and clinical neuropsychology.

In this comprehensively updated second edition, written by Alicia Ann Clair and Jenny Memmott the extraordinary benefits of music therapy for older adults are detailed. Therapeutic Uses of Music with Older Adults not only examines these benefits but also clarifies the reasons that music is beneficial. This important book shows both informal and formal caregivers how to use music to enhance the quality of life of older adults - including people with physical impairments and people with dementia. Written by two of the nation's leading music therapists, Therapeutic Uses of Music with Older Adults offers strategies for using music to: provide diversion for inactivity, discomfort, and daily routine; decrease symptoms of depression, anxiety insomnia, and agitation; handle problem behaviors; provide physical and emotional stimulation; help in the rehabilitation of people with cardiac disease, Parkinson's disease, and impairments related to stroke; help in the management of pain; facilitate social integration; communication; and the expression of feelings, including anger and grief; and relieve the stress and tension associated with caring for older adults.

An enlightening book, You Bring Out the Music in Me, explores how music motivates, enriches, touches, relaxes, and energizes the elderly in nursing homes. Practicing music therapists explain how music “speaks” to all of us, regardless of our language, culture, or abilities and how it can be used with groups and individuals in nursing homes to encourage relaxation and expression of feeling and increase socialization. The chapters encompass both music therapy practice in gerontology as well as practical ideals and suggestions for activities directors who want to use music in their nursing home activities programs. This readable book includes a history of music therapy, the need for research in the field, discussions of music in groups and music with individuals, and a useful resource list of music materials.

This practical guide to running music therapy groups with senior citizens provides effective strategies that encourage therapists to be creative and engaging, and involve participants fully in the music-making process. The author explains how to choose or create music that is accessible to older people, relating to the group's shared experiences.

The fascinating and exciting evidence in this book has tremendous appeal. For students of Music Therapy, and others training in medical and paramedical disciplines, it can be considered an essential text for study, and required reading to gain an overview of the field. This book provides a landmark in the literature of Music Therapy. For the scientist, chapters on the biological and medical effects of music give a wealth of research evidence on the value of music in therapy and music in medicine. For readers from paramedical, educational and other clinical fields, there are eighteen chapters detailing music therapy techniques and approaches in psychiatry, pediatrics, learning difficulties, elderly and sensory handicap. Diagnosis and assessment are covered in considerable detail and the general effect of music is reviewed in many of the contributions. For all qualified music therapists and students.