Unlocking dementia with a song

Artiie suffers with terrible dementia but even though he cannot remember things that were said five minutes earlier, you can tell that he was true gentleman in every sense of the word. After I have finished getting him washed and dressed, he always shakes my hand and thanks me, even offering money on occasions, which I obviously decline. As I have became a familiar face he greets me with a smile and asks what we were going to do now. To which I say ‘Let's go upstairs to change out of your pyjamas’. and every day he looks down and chuckles ‘Oh I didn’t even know I still had them on’.

To overcome my nervousness of washing and dressing my people I always talk or sing. One day I was chatting and as a throw away comment said ‘I bet you were a bit of a rascal with the ladies.’
He looked at me for a few seconds whilst he tried to cast his mind back and then with a little twinkle in his eye said ‘ Yes, I suspect you’re right’.

It was whilst rehearsing to do an Old Time Music Hall show, I took it upon myself to practise my songs on Artie and as usual he smiled blankly down at me until one day I sang ‘Here we are again, happy as can be’ His face lit up and in he came with ‘All good friends and jolly good company’ By the time I went to walk out of the door, we had his wife joining in downstairs and it was a very happy household that I left behind me on that day. La di da di da La di da di di.

Since that day our repertoire has increased and the one we enjoy most is ‘Lets all go down the Strand’ to which Artie replies ‘Ave a banana’ The interesting thing is that I taught him that line, because he sang everything else but had to ask me what I was singing at that point. Within a couple of days he would add it in without prompting.

Artie always seems to enjoy the singing and at one point looked me in the eye and said ‘I don’t know who you are or why you come here, but I do enjoy your company? You're such a jolly chap and you always make me smile’

Since my experience with Artie I try to sing to all my dementia patients; it seems to me, that music unlocks a part of the memory that cannot normally be reached. I have since found out about the Alzheimers group 'Singing for the Brains' http://alzheimers.org.uk/site/scripts/documents_info.php?documentID=760 which Artie now attends.

A few months later, I was working with another carer, who occasionally looks after Artie when I can't make it.
Whilst we were getting one of 'The Old Dears' ready for bed, I started singing to her, at which point the Carer turned round and said 'Oh So that's what Artie was singing when I was dressing him the other day'
It's nice to think that Artie remembers my songs whilst I am away, even if he doesn't know my name.