As the New Year approaches, our Creative Arts team is expanding and looking for creative ways to bring meaningful music experiences to the residents at Kensington Park. One of the areas we have been exploring further is music therapy and Parkinson’s Disease. Research in music therapy shows immense benefit for people diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease. Parkinson’s Disease is a “progressive neurological disease that leads to impaired motor control…additional symptoms include impairments in voice, respiratory control, and swallowing.” Exercises such as lip buzzing, glissandos (sliding between pitches), articulation exercises, and group singing provide opportunities to practice and maintain these oral motor and respiratory skills in a motivating fashion that engages more parts of the brain. Participants in a recent study on a Parkinson’s Singing Group also reported “improvements in their ability to breathe better, thereby promoting relaxation, minimization of back pain, and encouragement of restful sleep,” as well as the ability to strengthen their voices and speak louder. If you would like to learn more about music therapy with Parkinson’s patients or our other music therapy programs, please contact music therapist Melissa Pate, at mpate@kensingtonsl.com.
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