A caregiver support consultant is a key person to have in your corner on your caregiving journey. This month, we're pleased to feature a guest post from Bill Cohen of Cohen Caregiving Support Consultants. Bill offers an invaluable and much-needed service to caregivers by providing resources and support, guiding them through tough decisions. He is extremely knowledgeable and draws from first-hand experience, having been his mother’s caregiver. In addition, he is a Certified Senior Advisor (CSA). Having known him for 6 years, I've gotten to see how he connects with others, how much he CARES and the wealth of knowledge/resources he offers. 

Introduce yourself and share a little about your background and how you came to be a part of the caregiving world.
Hi, I’m Bill Cohen. I am a caregiver support group leader and speaker, an Alzheimer's Association volunteer, a Certified Senior Advisor (CSA)®, and the owner of Cohen Caregiving Support...

An estimated 6.5 million Americans age 65 and older are currently living with Alzheimer’s and dementia. This number is projected to more than double by 2050. Worldwide, an estimated 54 million people are living with Alzheimer’s and other dementias (2022 Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures). These numbers are staggering, and there’s currently no straightforward cure, but there are ways to combat decline, slow degeneration, and improve quality of life.

At Bridgetown Music Therapy, our main focus is the modality of music to improve a person’s wellbeing. Music can engage and positively affect individuals cognitively, emotionally, physically, spiritually, socially and more. This can lead to outcomes such as partially or temporarily restoring language and communication, sparking memories, and reducing stress or anxiety. Music is not the only way to engage a person and enrich their life though. Many other engaging activities and therapies exist that...

Did you know that music activates every area of the brain?
It's true, scientific researchers have observed that listening to music and engagement in music-based activities affects all areas of the brain. Music activates the feel-good centers of the brain, and it can even help seniors create new neural connections in their brains, which are reasons why music can be so beneficial for people with dementia.

Music is a natural motivator.
Because music can do all kinds of cool things for the brain and body, it makes the perfect tool for engaging individuals with dementia. A few examples: unlocking their past memories, improving mood, increasing energy levels, and promoting relaxation. Singing has amazing benefits such as relieving stress, boosting the immune system, providing comfort, promoting expressive communication and improving lung capacity.

The benefits of music are abundant and far-reaching.
Music can uniquely touch the lives of people living with disease,...

In August, we had the pleasure of being a guest on the All Home Care Matters podcast and YouTube channel. All Home Care Matters features resources, tips, and discussion on important age-related topics to help families navigate long-term care matters. Their YouTube channel has an extensive collection of videos which provides all kinds of information to family caregivers and answers to commonly-asked questions.  In my interview with them, I shared about the power of music and how music therapy can be utilized in senior care. If you’d like to watch it, click here.

If you and your loved one enjoy music, but you’re unsure how to utilize it as a meaningful activity at home, we've got some ideas for you! Music is a wonderful tool for connection and engagement. Think of it like a vitamin—a little bit everyday does wonders to nourish the heart, body, mind and soul. Music can be a daily activity for you and your loved one.

Sing – Even if you don’t describe yourself as a “singer,” we each have a voice and can use it to sing. Did you know the activity of singing has a ton of benefits? In many ways, singing is similar to exercise. It’s an aerobic activity, so it gets more oxygen into the blood leading to better circulation which can cause improved mood. Singing causes the release of endorphins, which give us that wonderful “lifted” feeling often resulting in stress relief. Also, because singing requires deep breathing, a natural result is often reduced anxiety.

It's as simple as turning on a song...