Even in the midst of a few discouraging headlines in recent weeks, with a new CBS report projecting a sharp rise in dementia over the next 20 years, there is some encouraging news — and it comes in the form of a song.
Purple Angel Music is a company that records new lyrics to popular songs, designed to remind dementia patients about important daily tasks they might otherwise forget — eating, locking the door, turning off the fireplace, etc. Sinatra’s “Fly With Me,” for example, now reminds them when “it’s time to make a cup of tea.”
The product comes from the same people who developed the BOB GPS system, which has helped countless families recover a lost loved one who wandered away while suffering from dementia.
According to The Telegraph, the effects of Purple Angel have been remarkable. Patients are not only keeping up with a daily to-do list but also experiencing improved memory.
“Words — which might have long ago been lost in the life of a dementia patient,” the Telegraph reports, “can make a confident return when combined with a well-loved piece of music.”
The story is just the latest demonstration of the incredible power of music in modern medicine. The Telegraph traces many of music’s other applications in hospitals and doctor’s offices — lowering blood pressure, increasing antibody levels, dilating blood vessels, and improving recovery from surgery, among other things.
Music has shown particular promise on the dementia front, and researchers are beginning to invest in new studies with the hopes of learning more about how dementia might help stem the disease’s rising tide.
Let’s hope this is still one of the early notes in what will become a symphony of good news for the future.
