Singapore’s silent disco treats dementia.
therapy
A dementia therapy that is making waves all over the world is a quiet disco in Singapore.As part of a plan to better their condition, elderly Singaporeans who suffer from dementia participated in a “silent disco” event where they danced to sentimental oldies.Residents of a nursing facility in Singapore are joyfully dancing to the melody nostalgic oldies sung by renowned crooning legends, but in a silent disco environment. This activity is a part of a technique that has been discovered to have successfully assisted improve the condition of seniors who are suffering dementia.According to reports from AFP, the inhabitants participated in a one-hour long “silent disco” by listening to music through headphones. The music ranged from the 1940s to the 1980s.
Apex Harmony
To get the inhabitants of the Apex Harmony Lodge up and moving, the facility, which specialises in providing care for patients suffering from dementia, played music in three different languages: English, Malay, and Chinese.”I truly don’t know how to dance; all I do is fool about. Christine Chong, who has early-onset dementia and is 54 years old, claimed with a sarcastic tone that she had “thick skin.”Another local, Goh Kian Ho, 63, showed off his infectious enthusiasm for the Hokkien tune he was singing along to by tapping his foot and clapping his hands. It’s great that we can play instruments and sing together, he continued.According to the report, Singapore, like with many other Asian nations, has been dealing with the challenges of an ageing population and rising dementia rates.
Ministry of Health
The Ministry of Health in Singapore estimates that there are currently 86,000 people with dementia, which accounts for one in ten adults aged 60 and older; this number is predicted to climb to 152,000 by the year 2030.According to research, music therapy may be good for patients suffering from specific disorders, such as Alzheimer’s disease, which can cause patients to struggle with their ability to communicate and their cognitive abilities.”We play old songs, and then they help to trigger the emotions of our residents that are often associated with certain memories from their past,” said Grace Wong, an associate psychologist at Apex Harmony Lodge. “This helps to provide a sense of familiarity and comfort for our residents,” said Grace Wong.
United Kingdom and Australia
It was in nursing homes in the United Kingdom and Australia that the idea of holding weekly silent disco sessions in nursing and care homes first emerged.Johnson Soh, a former music executive, initiated a music programme for seniors after his father was diagnosed with dementia and music from his father’s generation assisted his father’s condition. Johnson Soh is a music executive who formerly worked in the entertainment industry.”In all honesty, he was my very first guinea pig. “I noticed a change in the level of his awareness,” stated Soh.According to Soh, since the program’s inception in 2019, more than ten different establishments in Singapore have incorporated it into their operations.
campaign
According to the source, the purpose of the campaign, which has been given the name “Return to the Tea Dance,” is to elicit fond memories of Sunday afternoon dances that were popular with young people in Singapore during the 1960s.”Everyone has a soundtrack to their lives, so there’s always some music that would have impacted you at some point in your life,” said Soh. “There’s always some music that would have impacted you sometime during your life.””It is inexplicable; I think music is something that really moves people,” he added. “Music is something that really moves people.”
