Playback.FM
Music Therapy for Every Age
The risk of developing dementia typically increases as a person ages. Whether susceptible through genetics or from age-related health issues, once diagnosed, lifestyle changes, medication, or therapy can only help to slow the onset and its symptoms. Until researchers can find a cure for dementia, staying cognitively active is one of the best ways of maintaining a higher quality of life.
For dementia patients, music therapy (singing or playing a musical instrument) is a proven method for keeping the brain active. However, in a recently published study in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, researchers also found that listening to music helped to improve the cognitive functioning of dementia sufferers. Separately, research by the Alzheimer’s Foundation suggested that listening to songs from a dementia patient's younger years (particularly between the ages of 18 to 25) was beneficial in helping with memory loss.
While searching for oldies to listen to is easier with the Internet, finding and creating a playlist from a loved one’s younger years still requires intensive research and time. Playback.FM solves this problem by aggregating Internet links into lists of popular music for every year between 1900 and 2021. Other lists (pop, rock, country) are less extensive in the years they cover, but are equally impressive in their breadth.
The service is free to use, offers a vast collection of music and vintage images, and provides some surprisingly older music videos (filmed performances from the 1920s’!). For dementia patients or even older adults seeking a few hours of entertainment, Playback.FM can be an easy-to-use resource for staying cognitively active while also reliving treasured memories.
Tags: #playbackfm, #dementia, #musictherapy, #bestof, #radio