Musical Therapy for Memory Loss

In 2006, Dan Cohen, a New York social worker, was struck with a simple thought: If he ever ended up in a nursing home, he wanted to be able to listen to his favorite 1960s music. He heard a news report that iPods had grown in popularity, so why not use iPods in nursing homes to provide personalized music for residents suffering from Alzheimer’s and dementia. He also learned that none of the 16,000 long-term care facilities in the United States used iPods in treating memory loss. Drawing on his background in leveraging technology to benefit those who would otherwise have no access, he volunteered at a local nursing home and created personalized playlists for the residents. “The program was a hit with residents, staff and families and became the prototype for a bigger effort,” he said. With funding from a foundation in 2008, Cohen purchased 200 iPods and conducted further tests in four Greater New York long-term care facilities. Successful outcomes spurred the creation of Music & Memory as a 501(c)(3) non-profit in 2010. What really gave impetus to the program was the production of a video, Alive Inside: A Story of Music and Memory, in 2012, which has since been viewed more than 13 million times and has won audience awards for Best Documentary at the Sundance, Sedona, Provincetown, and Milano, Italy film festivals. Henry Comes Alive The star of a short clip from the vi