Residence and rehabilitation center uses individualized playlists for residents

WATERVILLE — Mount Saint Joseph Residence and Rehabilitation recently received certification as a Music & Memory facility. The international program integrates personalized playlists of favorite music into the daily lives of elders. The program is particularly beneficial in those with Alzheimer’s, dementia and similar conditions where musical-related memories may be triggered in hearing songs from earlier in their lives.

Mount Saint Joseph becomes the fifth facility in Maine, and the first in central Maine, to receive this designation and to implement its programming, according to a news release from the facility.

“This was a natural program for us to become certified in and to bring into our elder’s lives. Mount Saint Joseph is home to such a diverse and wonderful elder population and we already knew that so many of our elders connected whenever we feature music in a life enrichment program or activity that making a formal commitment to be trained and certified in Music & Memory was the next logical step for myself and the entire Life Enrichment team,” Life Enrichment Director Carla Back said in the release.

A key focus of the program is a personalized playlist of important and memorable songs from an elder’s life is created and loaded onto an iPod device that an elder can than listen to on demand. In hearing songs from during their life, particularly those of significance, can assist in helping to trigger memories and stories surrounding the song. Playlists are developed with both the elder and their families to ensure a full picture of the favorite songs of their life to date.

Mount Saint Joseph seeks donations of new or gently used iPods as well as iTunes gift cards to fully utilize the program.

For more information, call Back at 873-0705.

Mount Saint Joseph Residence and Rehabilitation is a 138-bed long term and skilled nursing facility located in Waterville. Founded by the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Lyon, Mount Saint Joseph has provided care for the elders of the Greater Waterville region since 1965.

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