Senior Care: Music Beats Drugs in Fighting Dementia

Prescription drug abuse against the elderly is an epidemic problem in the U.S. today. Consider the following facts: According to the Office of the Inspector General, 304,983 elderly nursing home residents in the U.S. were given dangerous, and often deadly, antipsychotic drugs, of which 88% were prescribed off-label for dementia. Antipsychotic drugs can double the risk of death and triple the risk of stroke for seniors and there are now about 1 million nursing home patients on antipsychotic drugs. However, research now backs up the experience that personalized music has tremendous therapeutic benefits for seniors, allowing them to overcome dementia without drugs. Lemon Grove Care & Rehabilitation Center near San Diego has reported that since they introduced iPods and personalized playlists to their residents, antipsychotic medication has been reduced by over 50%!