Chris Hartzog » Dementia/Alzheimer’s

Music and the Brain

chartzog — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 03:27:43 +0000

The AP published an interesting article recently describing the links found in the brain between music and words including the possiblity that intense therapy with music might improve speech in not only stroke patients, but in individuals with autism as well. It’s nice to know that what my wife and I have known instinctively for years….using music to help our autistic daughter process and understand language better….is now being backed up by science. This also adds more meaning to the work I do with music with nursing home residents, especially those experiencing memory loss such as Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. Add some music and suddenly non-responsive folks start smiling, or tapping a foot or finger or sometimes even singing.

The full article published on Yahoo News, titled, “Research finds brain link for words, music ability”, can be found here: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100220/ap_on_sc/us_sci_words_and_music

Music for Caregivers

chartzog — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 02:38:16 +0000

My mission is to provide “Music for Caregivers” to integrate into the lives of people living in nursing homes and to those with physical, developmental or neurological disabilities living in our world.

This page and web site is a place for anyone interested in bringing music into a care-giving environment. Care-giving environments can be such places such as a nursing home, a convalescent center, a group home, a hospital or to individuals living in the community. This is dedicated to all those people with either physical, neurological, or developmental disabilities and for all those that are all too often forgotten and hidden away by our self-absorbed culture.

Can a mother forget the baby at her breast
And have no compassion on the child she has borne?
Though she may forget,
I will not forget you!
See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands;
Your walls are ever before me.

Isaiah 49:15-16

I have answered God’s call to stand up for the rights of these our brothers and sisters and most importantly come to them simply as a brother with his guitar and his voice. A little music can brighten one’s day, lift spirits, revive memories, and reduce depression and feel less lonely. All this is possible with no prescription and no side effects.

If you would like me to play at your nursing home or for your group, please contact me. Click here to Email Me

Resources For Caregivers

chartzog — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 20:34:13 +0000

With the aging of our population there has been a increased need for caregivers, either professional, or those who fill the role out of love due to an aging spouse, parent or loved one. There is also a large population of caregivers of disabled children, afflicted with various things such as autism, mental retardation, Down’s Syndrome or other disorders. At any rate, it is important that you as a caregiver proactively do things to take care of yourself and work to avoid caregiver burnout.

As a caregiver myself, I have created this page as a resource for other caregivers to use as a starting place to begin to find ways to help yourself. For if you are able to help yourself stay healthy, you will be better able to take good care of your loved one or those in your care.

Here are some useful sources of information that you might want to check out.

Music For Caregivers

Did you know that music is a great stress reliever? It is also a wonderful way to connect with both the elderly and the young. Beyond that it is plain old fun and enjoyment that can be worked into many aspects of your day.

American Music Therapy Association – Fact Sheet on Alzheimer’s and music therapy.
American Music Therapy Association – Fact Sheet on autism and music therapy.

Music is a power and a language that crosses all borders and generations.

Great Music for Stress Relief

Vivaldi: The Four Seasons Various studies have shown that if you listen to classical music while eating will cause you to eat less, enjoy your food more, digest more easily and attain other health benefits. I have always loved Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. It is one of my very favorites to enjoy over dinner.
The Most Relaxing Classical Music in the Universe Many of the world’s great composers are on this album including, Pachelbel, Mozart and Beethoven. This album is perfect for the practice of mental imagery or meditation and can also soothe you to sleep.
Michael Powers A great Seattle area jazz and blues guitarist, Michael Powers, is constantly coming out with new and better music. One of my favorites is 20 Songs for 20 Years.
Abbey Road (Remastered) Who can compare with The Beatles? So much has been said about the Beatles, that I doubt I can add anything new. I can only say that one of my favorite albums is Abbey Road.
Duets: An American Classic Tony Bennett just never stops. As an eighty year old, his voice is incredible. This CD is loaded with top performers including Paul McCartney, Sting, James Taylor and Barbara Streisand. Be sure to buy this album! It will make you smile.
Musicians Who Support Autism Awareness Here is a list originally provide by “Autism Connections” MySpace site.

Music Library

Create your own personal stress relief music collection and sort it into categories. Here are a some category ideas to get you started:

For your work out
For housework and chores
For dinner
For driving
For meditation and prayer

Preventing and Dealing with Burnout

The Caregiver Manual – Comprehensive resource for caregivers, including articles on how to decrease stress, find support, and balance your time. (Strength for Caring)
Family Caregiving 101 – Offers advice, information, and support for caregivers. Includes a directory of resources, including financial advisers, support groups, and elder care organizations. (National Family Caregivers Association and the National Alliance for Caregiving)
Recognizing and Coping With Caregiver Burnout – This page, linked to a page on “Getting help to prevent burnout,” is on a terrific, comprehensive Canadian site about caregiving. (Peel Public Health)
Preventing Caregiver Burnout – Part of a handbook and resource guide for caregivers in Florida. Examines the signs of caregiver burnout and how to handle it. Includes tips for caregivers who are themselves challenged by age or infirmity. (Area Agency on Aging of Pasco-Pinellas)
Information Library – 100 fact sheets and publications on numerous caregiving issues. (Family Caregiver Alliance)
Tips for Caregivers – Provides information to help caregivers prevent burn-out and relieve the stresses of caregiving. (National Family Alliance)
Tips for Family Caregivers – Ten important tips for caregivers. (National Family Caregivers Association)
Online Guide to Caregiving – A comprehensive collection of articles and tools to assist caregivers. (AARP Magazine)
Advice for Caregivers / Terminal Illnesses – Contains articles that present advice for caregivers faced with terminal illness patients. (Terminal Illness)

Locate a Caregiver

Family Caregiver Alliance’s Family Care Navigator, provides a state-by-state resource intended to help you locate services for family caregivers and resources for older or disabled adults.

New Alzheimer’s Research Published

chartzog — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 15:45:47 +0000

The National Institutes of Health is reporting this month that researchers have made significant progress in coming up with a test to both diagnose Alzheimer’s earlier as well as to monitor the progress of the disease over time. “This effort may open the door to the discovery of an entire panel of cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers that will not only predict those at risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, but also reveal how the disease is responding to therapies,”

The full article can be viewed at the NIH website: http://www.nih.gov/news/health/mar2009/nia-17.htm

Increased Risk of Death in Elderly Patients Taking Conventional Antipsychotics for Dementia

chartzog — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 16:55:20 +0000

The FDA has issued new warnings that conventional antipsychotic drugs can increase the risk of death in elderly patients with dementia. You can view the FDA health warning video here.

FDA is requiring that “conventional” antipsychotic drugs carry a boxed warning stating that these drugs increase the risk of death when they are used to treat dementia-related psychosis in elderly patients. This category includes such drugs as Haldol (haloperidol) and Prolixin (fluphenazine). A similar warning was added to “atypical” antipsychotic drugs in 2005. Atypicals include such drugs as Zyprexa (olanzapine), Seroquel (quetiapine) and Risperdal (risperidone).

Both conventional and atypical antipsychotics are approved to treat schizophrenia, but neither type is approved for dementia-related psychosis. FDA is reminding physicians that antipsychotic drugs are not indicated for this condition, and that elderly patients treated with antipsychotics are at increased risk of death.

At this time there is no approved drug to treat dementia-related psychosis, and FDA advises healthcare professionals to consider other options to manage these patients. Physicians who prescribe antipsychotics for elderly patients with dementia-related psychosis should discuss the increased risk of death with the patient, the patient’s family, and caregivers.

Additional Information:

FDA MedWatch Safety Alert. Antipsychotics, Conventional and Atypical. June 16, 2008.

http://www.fda.gov/medwatch/safety/2008/safety08.htm#Antipsychotics

Alternatives:

Information on complementary and alternative medicine is available at the University of California, San Francisco. See this page for other treatment options.

If you have a loved one with dementia, it is important that you review the medication they are being prescribed and stay in close contact with their doctor.

Nursing Home Music Flyer

chartzog — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 20:47:45 +0000

I have added a link to my nursing home music flyer and posted it on my site. The fall is when I begin planning my schedule for the coming year. If you have an interest in having me perform at your facility during 2009, please contact me so I can get you on my schedule while there is still room.

Concerts typically run around an hour in length and the best time is either later morning or mid afternoon for the benefit of the residents. I provide my own amplification and microphone, for Seattle area events, if out of state, please consult with me for requirements.

If you have not provided music for your residents in the past, it is something you should consider adding to your activities. I see folks usually start reacting to the music from the beginning and they often join in by singing, dancing, tapping in time, and/or making requests. I try to keep things lively with mostly up-tempo songs, and I tell stories and jokes and talk to people directly throughout the show to keep the experience entertaining.

I believe bringing live music to nursing homes and convalescent centers is an excellent way to build community, stimulate and brighten people’s lives!

I try to make these events fun and entertaining. I perform music from many different periods. From the 1920’s, 1930’s up to today. I include standards, folk, country, contemporary and gospel.

If you would like me to perform at your nursing home, just send me an email.

Click for my brochure: PDF or JPEG

Music for Alzheimer’s and Autism All at Once

chartzog — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 21:04:25 +0000

I sang at the Clare Bridge at Silver Lake Alzheimer’s/Memory Care facility on Sunday, August 3rd. Not only was my audience a group of residents living with Alzheimers and dementia, but my daughter who is on the autism spectrum attended along with my wife. I have read that people living with memory impairments such as Alzheimer’s disease are often stimulated by music that skips way back to their childhood. Some of what I experienced at Clare Bridge validates this a bit for me…Even though I put a lot of practice time and emotion into some of Elvis’ tunes, like “That’s Alright Mama”, the songs that I witnessed the biggest electrifying effect on these people in my audience were:

Take Me Out to the Ballgame

and

You Are My Sunshine

And, of course, when I mentioned “Old Blue Eyes” before I sang Frank Sinatra’s “All The Way”….that did elicit some eye twinkling amongn them!

What is Autism?

chartzog — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 13:00:29 +0000

From the Wikipedia entry:

Autism is a brain development disorder that impairs social interaction and communication, and causes restricted and repetitive behavior, all starting before a child is three years old. This set of signs distinguishes autism from milder autism spectrum disorders (ASD) such as Asperger syndrome.^[2]

Autism has a strong genetic basis, although the genetics of autism are complex and it is unclear whether ASD is explained more by multigene interactions or by rare mutations.^[3] In rare cases, autism is strongly associated with agents that cause birth defects.^[4] Other proposed causes, such as childhood vaccines, are controversial and the vaccine hypotheses lack convincing scientific evidence.^[5] Most recent reviews estimate a prevalence of one to two cases per 1,000 people for autism, and about six per 1,000 for ASD, with ASD averaging a 4.3:1 male-to-female ratio. The number of people known to have autism has increased dramatically since the 1980s, at least partly due to changes in diagnostic practice; the question of whether actual prevalence has increased is unresolved.^[6]

Autism affects many parts of the brain; how this occurs is poorly understood. Parents usually notice signs in the first two years of their child’s life. Early behavioral or cognitive intervention can help children gain self-care, social, and communication skills. There is no cure.^[7] Few children with autism live independently after reaching adulthood, but some become successful,^[8] and an autistic culture has developed, with some seeking a cure and others believing that autism is a condition rather than a disorder.^[9]

I have also turned this post into a permanent page on my site for future easy access. This is the beginning of deeper information that will be available here on the previously mentioned “niche“.

Refining My Niche

chartzog — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 02:37:50 +0000

As time has gone along, I have seen more clearly that I cannot be all things to all people. I guess we each have our unique calling and journey we undertake as the body needs many different individual members in order to survive. So it is with me. I am finding that the thing that resonates most deeply with me in terms of how I conceive, produce, think of and focus my music, is with it somehow connected with the world of autism, of which I am most closely linked via our daughter and all of the other autistic and other special needs kids we have come to know because of her. I have touched on this connection earlier:

Part of this is because of what I have come to realize is my larger purpose and mission, especially in regard to this site, my songs, my nursing home ministry, my life with a child living with autism, having endured many years of infertility and failed attempts at achieving pregnancy and as an adoptive parent:

I must heed Christ’s call as so eloquently echoed by the late, Great Pope John Paul II to proclaim the Gospel of Life.

This linking continues outward beyond strictly autism, but to anyone struggling with a developmental, medical or aging condition such as Down’s syndrome, mental retardation, cerebral palsy, dementia, alzheimers or whatever affliction aging might throw at someone.

Due to my progression through this thought process, you will notice that as of today, I have modified the tag line on my web site to now read, “Chris Hartzog dot Com – Music From and For Autism, Dementia and Alzheimer’s”

The Developmentally Disabled Behind Bars

chartzog — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 12:57:14 +0000

Seattle KING5 news…

…ran this story earlier this year and I was horrified. I talked it up with some of my family and friends at the time, but now I realize that I need to get the word out to a larger audience. Part of this is because of what I have come to realize is my larger purpose and mission, especially in regard to this site, my songs, my nursing home ministry, my life with a child living with autism, having endured many years of infertility and failed attempts at achieving pregnancy and as an adoptive parent:

I must heed Christ’s call as so eloquently echoed by the late, Great Pope John Paul II to proclaim the Gospel of Life.

We must all respect life.

This is the most fundamental of rights and it cuts across all religions, races, and regions. It cannot be a political issue. It is basic. Everyone has an inalienable right to life from the moment of conception until natural death. There are no qualifiers. This right applies to everyone regardless of age, young or old, intelligence, sex, or physical or mental health.

In the case of Bill Trask, what happened? How could so many people watch him suffer and not intervene? What can we do to change the system? What can we do to change ourselves – our own attitudes towards people who appear “different”?

The Developmentally Disabled Behind Bars

Bill Trask walked into that jail healthy and left so damaged he can’t even feed himself. His story opens a window into the treatment of the developmentally disabled behind bars in Washington State.

The KING5 story was focused on Washington state, but this issue applies everywhere.

You can see the entire investigation story here, on KING 5.

Do you work at Microsoft? Do you know someone with autism? or Alzheimer’s?

chartzog — Mon, 19 May 2008 12:19:25 +0000

I am going to try this one more time. I know I haven’t gotten anyone’s attention yet, and that is okay. I am patient and I believe this is an idea that deserves waiting on.

Do you work for Microsoft? Do you live in the Seattle area or know someone who lives here?

Did you know Wired Magazine ran an article (The Geek Syndrome) discussing findings of autism rates much higher than average among children of high tech workers in Silicon Valley? Other research has uncovered similar links.

The Pacific Northwest, especially Seattle, Portland and Vancouver, British Columbia are high tech communities and hold the possibility of higher rates of autism.

I wrote a post a few days ago, “How About a Seattle Area Concert for Caregivers?” offering to host a free concert – sing along – get together somewhere in the Seattle metro area especially for long term caregivers who need a little break away from things.

So, I reiterate:

If you live in the Seattle area and would be interested in coordinating this, please comment. My idea is for this to be a FUN event…and an INTERACTIVE event…i.e. some audience participation (sing along) and an ENJOYABLE event…i.e. Somewhere where everyone can RELAX, such as a coffee shop (Yep, we have those in Seattle) or a restaurant, or maybe a club (Eagles, American Legion, etc.) where you can enjoy some food and beverages. Do you think you can pull together 10, 15 or 20 couples to do this?

Musing Mana 3 – Live at Clare Bridge

chartzog — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 01:56:27 +0000

I just finished up playing another show at Clare Bridge at Silver Lake. What a lovely facility! This was a fun show and a great way to warm up on a chilly afternoon. We all had fun doing a sing along to “You Are My Sunshine” – Thanks Governor Jimmie Davis and the State of Louisiana!

Many thanks to the staff at CB who made it happen.

Thank you one and all.

Here is Spencer:

Why do Music in Nursing Homes?

chartzog — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 18:11:16 +0000

It’s simple really. Some live music provides:

An hour of happiness in probably what seems like an eternity of pain and loneliness. (Remember – These are people who are often there against their will (for their own good and safety), who have lost their home, possibly lost a spouse, and have lost their health and/or mental ability)
Something pleasant to look forward to
It brings back the happy memories
A chance to sing, dance, laugh, hold each others’ hands, tell stories

Concert at Clare Bridge

chartzog — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 18:49:30 +0000

Some photos (cheap cell phone camera quality as I forgot the real camera) taken at my first nursing home concert at Clare Bridge Silver Lake. It is an Alzheimer’s and memory residence. They have a beautiful courtyard that reminds me of Disneyland’s Main Street USA.

Music parlor…

Here’s the bus…