MCHCC uses music to jog residents' memories

Shawn Verdin, director of marketing at Morgan City Health Care Center and Kayla Falgout, Music and Memory coordinator at MCHCC, spoke to Franklin Rotarians Tuesday about the Music and Memory program at MCHCC.
According to Verdin, MCHCC earned their Music and Memory accreditation in June of 2018, and since then have managed to acquire 33 iPods for the program.
After a brief introduction, Verdin yielded the floor to Falgout who elaborated on the details of the Music and Memory program.
“This program was created a couple of years ago when iPods were new and exciting,” Falgout said. “Grants were given to nursing homes to get 15 iPods, and that’s how it started.
“The Music and Memory program focuses on people with Alzheimer’s and dementia in particular, but it also helps people with depression, anxiety and anything, really.”
Falgout said what music does for the average, unafflicted layperson, it does more so for those with dementia, Alzheimer’s or depression. It elevates their memory function, mood and sense of wellbeing.
Verdin interjected that the results of the heightened memory activity are not permanent, and usually last only 30 minutes or so. However, for those 30 minutes, Verdin said the patients are, in some cases, able to interact meaningfully with loved ones perhaps who they have not spoken with for years.
“A lot of times,” Falgout said, “I’ll try to put an iPod on them (residents) if I know their daughter comes to visit every day at one, I’ll try to put their iPod on them around 12:30, so that when their daughter does come, they can have a fuller conversation than they would have had otherwise.”
Falgout explained that when a resident is introduced to the Music and Memory program, they are asked key questions about their favorite music, and key moments of import in their lives, as well as special interests, etc.
The result is a playlist that caters personally to the individual resident and which speaks to them exclusively.
That result, Falgout said, is “an improvement in their quality of life.”
She shared that last New Year’s Eve, in cooperation with Louisiana Nursing Home Association and Quietevents, MCHCC held a “quiet disco” for the entire facility.
Falgout described a three-station selection of different genres of music, and a pair of headphones for each resident, and staff as well.
She said, “That was such an awesome experience! That was our New Year’s party!
“The good thing was that it didn’t disrupt the facility because it is all in the headphones. But, it probably looked a little strange to someone walking in and seeing everyone dancing in silence. But, it was really fun!”
Falgout closed by saying that MCHCC is always accepting used or new iPod donations; and information on other ways to support MCHCC’s Music and Memory program can be located at musicandmemory.org or morgancityhealthcare.com.