Music offers much more than stress relief for seniors; it can actually help them preserve their cognitive abilities. Studies by the American Music Therapy Association have found that elderly people living with Alzheimer's and dementia benefit from music therapy.

John Carpente, founder of the Rebecca Center for Music Therapy, says music is the most engaging, emotionally powerful stimulus, and can affect not only mood and thoughts but even physiology. Because of the strong connection between emotions and memory, music can easily trigger both positive and negative memories of the past.

Music therapy activities can include playing music in the home, creating playlists of favourite songs from the person’s youth, playing a sing-along DVD, or simply singing along with the person and the music. For those who are more mobile, dance lessons or a trip to a concert can also be beneficial.

Music can help encourage health and wellness for elderly people and elicit positive reactions and memories. These are just some of the benefits it can bring:

• More exercise
• Better coordination and mobility
• Motivation for dancing, stretching, walking and running
• More social interaction
• Improved speech and cognition
• Encouragement of self-expression
• Better self-esteem
• Reduced anxiety and tension
• Better health overall
• Reduced pain and shorter recovery time
• Better sleep
• Improved mood
• Better memory
• Something to talk about