On Friday October 12th, Molina Healthcare of Wisconsin collaborated with Milwaukee Health Services, Inc. to present “Silent Memories”. Silent Memories is a disco experience that was hosted by TV personality, Cassandra McShepard.
Milwaukee Health Services, Inc. Is the only federally qualified health center in the country with a memory clinic. They also are members of the WAI- Affiliated Dementia Diagnostic Clinic Network, funded by a grant from UW-Madison. This puts them in a great position for awareness and education as it relates to memory loss.
Molina Healthcare of Wisconsin has been providing government funded care for as low-income individuals since 2004.
At the event they offered memory screenings, glucose screenings, blood-pressure screenings, flu shots, and mammograms. This informative affair taught the attendees about preventive geriatrics as well.
Many vendors attended offering healthy foods and beverages while DJ Cheerio and Deboe held down the turn tables, playing a variety of old school hits at the same time.
Attendees had the opportunity to switch from one DJ to the other with just a flick of a switch on their light up headphones. Each color represented a DJ, so it was easy to enjoy the records playing with friends and family. Many families took the stage while laughing, smiling, and dancing to the hit records like the “Cha-Cha Slide.”
The goal of the Silent Memories event was to educate and awaken dementia patients’ lost memories through music. It’s been said that music is increasingly being used in memory research, especially with seniors.
Music has the ability to activate large areas in the brain such as auditory, motor, and emotional regions. Therefore, the connection between music and memory is extremely strong.
The University of Wisconsin-Madison reports that when Alzheimer patients have access to familiar music from their past, it may reduce agitation and resistance to care, minimize the need for anti-psychotic and anti-anxiety medications, encourage interaction with others, improve group environments and family visits, as well as provide an enjoyable, fulfilling activity.
These statistics are mind blowing, in my opinion, yet they make so much sense. How many times can we recall a time where a song literally took us back to a certain place in our mind. Music effects our mood and sometimes drives our decisions.
Just earlier this year, I lost two love ones and they both passed of Dementia. Although they passed in their sleep, I wonder just how much music could have made an impact on them.
I’m so glad these to amazing organizations made it priority to bring awareness to such a topic.
Special thanks to Pamela Clark and Babette Honore for this incredible work.