Our students in the Patient Care Technician (PCT) program visisted the Watermark Memory Care community this month. During their trip, they were educated by Therapeutic Musician Susan Haas (ig:@thesoloharp) and Memory Care Coordinator Kasey Burnham. 

Haas taught our students about the importance of music in the care of patients with Alzheimer's or dementia. She emphasized that music was one of the only tools that engages patients when they are in the final stages of the disease. Additionally, our students learned that patients preferred to be played music that was popular in their early adulthood (18-25 years old). Haas also explained that music and its vibrations could be a method of providing pain relief. 

Burnham talked to our students about maintaining patient dignity. She stressed that the role of a Memory Care provider was not to re-orient the patient, but to engage with the patient in their reality. For example, if a patient believes that their provider is their co-worker, the provider should play the role of the patient's co-worker. Doing so helps keep the patient calm and unafraid.