Newswise — NEW YORK, August 30, 2011 - “The Unforgettables,” a chorus comprised of older adults with dementia and their family members will perform in the Sanctuary of St. Peter’s Church, the Jazz Church, on Thursday, September 1 at 3:00pm. This concert, the culmination of three months of rehearsals, is part of a research study conducted by the Psychosocial Research and Support program of the Center of Excellence on Brain Aging at NYU Langone Medical Center to assess the benefits of participating in a chorus for people with dementia and their family members.
Celebrate the Power and Pleasure of Singing Together!Please Join Us for the Choral Debut of...The UnforgettablesUniting People with Dementia and their Family Members3 pm on Thursday September 1, 2011St. Peter’s Church Sanctuary619 Lexington Ave. @ 54th St.Entrance is on 54th St. between Lexington Ave. and 3rd Ave.Light refreshments to follow
An estimated 5.3 million individuals in the United States have Alzheimer’s disease (AD). AD is a long-term, progressive illness, lasting 7 to 10 years on average, with no curative or preventive agent available at this time. Families care for the vast majority of individuals with Alzheimer’s for most of the course of the illness. These caregivers have been called the “hidden victims” of AD because they too are deeply affected by the illness, and must adapt to its consequences--not only to their relative with the illness, but also to their relationship with that individual. There is an urgent need for evidence-based management and intervention strategies to improve the quality of life for the affected individuals and their family caregivers.
Sharing a pleasurable experience can sustain and enhance the relationship between people with dementia and their family members. But there is little hard scientific evidence to show whether or not these therapies truly help. Currently, information about the value of sharing experiences involving music or art is largely based on observation and the intuitive belief that they are worthwhile. The results of the few studies done to date suggest the potential of such programs to sustain the bond between people with dementia and their family members while contributing to their quality of life. The results of the popular and oft-replicated “Meet Me at MoMA” program, recently evaluated by Mary Mittelman, Dr PH, demonstrated the value of this kind of program and highlighted the desire of people with dementia and their family members to participate in shared experiences in the arts in which they felt welcome, rather than stigmatized.
Dr. Mittelman and fellow researchers have developed and are evaluating this chorus for people with dementia and their family members as a means of improving their quality of life through shared participation in a normative, enjoyable social activity. If successful, this novel program could be a prototype for others to emulate, and it could be a great source of enjoyment and connection for participants. We expect it will help participants continue to partake of other activities together and improve their moods and relationships. This choral program was designed to ensure a high quality and rewarding experience for the singers, provide a structure that maximizes the synergy and skills of the leaders, enrich and educate the wider community through the concert and be a model for replication in other communities. It is believed to be the first community chorus of its kind for people with dementia. It is hoped that the initial part of this study will provide the necessary framework to create a model program that will provide much needed visibility to the enormous potential of the arts to enhance the well-being of people with dementia and their family caregivers.
This Institutional Review Board approved project is directed and conducted by the Psychosocial Research and Support Program of the Center of Excellence on Brain Aging, in collaboration with advisors with expertise in music therapy and choral conducting. It has been funded by a grant from the Fund for the City of New York.
About the Center of Excellence on Brain Aging The Center of Excellence on Brain Aging (http://aging.med.nyu.edu) is devoted to research and clinical advances toward the treatment and cure of all neurodegenerative diseases affecting cognition, with expertise in healthy brain aging, Alzheimer's disease and memory disorders, Parkinson's disease and movement disorders, atypical dementias, and geriatric psychiatry. The COE was founded upon the strengths of NYU Langone's existing Silberstein Institute, which for decades has been devoted to the understanding, cure, and prevention of age-related cognitive decline through research, public education, and evidence-based clinical care.
About NYU Langone Medical CenterNYU Langone Medical Center, a world-class, patient-centered, integrated, academic medical center, is one on the nation’s premier centers for excellence in clinical care, biomedical research and medical education. Located in the heart of Manhattan, NYU Langone is composed of three hospitals – Tisch Hospital, its flagship acute care facility; the Rusk Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine, the world’s first university-affiliated facility devoted entirely to rehabilitation medicine; and the Hospital for Joint Diseases, one of only five hospitals in the nation dedicated to orthopaedics and rheumatology – plus the NYU School of Medicine, which since 1841 has trained thousand of physicians and scientists who have helped to shape the course of medical history. The medical center’s tri-fold mission to serve, teach and discover is achieved 365 days a year through the seamless integration of a culture devoted to excellence in patient care, education and research. For more information, go to www.NYULMC.org.
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