Country music artist Jacob Davis performs at center for Alzheimer's patients

Augusta Chronicle - 5/11/2017

May 11--Musician Jacob Davis has never been a therapist but became one of sorts Wednesday when he sat down in front of patients and staff and played at the Jud C. Hickey Center for Alzheimer's Care.

As he launched into his own song, fittingly about James Brown, patients began nodding their heads and snapping their fingers in time with the music. A woman slumped to the side in her chair with her eyes half-closed snapped awake and looked around.

"It was amazing," Davis said. "There was a lady and a gentleman up front and it was like it hit them at the same time. Their eyes lit up and then they started moving around. It was pretty great."

Recent research shows music therapy can have a positive impact on patients with dementia like those served by the day center. Davis was the opening act Wednesday night for the Music for Memories Concert that also featured musician Jon Pardi. The concert is an annual fundraiser for the center, and it was sold out, which makes it "10 times better," Davis said.

"Music is a part of what we do every day," said Jennifer Pennington, executive director for the center. The center recently received a $4,000 grant from Women in Philanthropy to purchase iPods that are now loaded with familiar music for the patients to listen to.

"It is very calming," Pennington said. "Sometimes individuals who are having a hard time finding their words, if they listen to a song from their past, immediately they can sing all of the words beautifully."

There is research that backs up that beneficial effect. Last month, a study published online in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry from researchers at Brown University found that nursing homes that participated in the Music & Memory individualized music program had reduced rates of anti-psychotic and anti-anxiety medication use and fewer behavioral problems than those who did not use the program.

And that's important, said Andrea Bussey, a clinical pharmacist who specializes in geriatrics and serves on the center's advisory board.

"As far as decreasing medication use, especially antipsychotics and psychoactive medication, that is certainly a benefit because the antipsychotics have a black box warning (of serious or life-threatening risk) for dementia patients," she said. "They're not FDA-approved for dementia and Alzheimer's."

Reach Tom Corwin at (706) 823-3213 or tom.corwin@augustachronicle.com.

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