Healing Headsets For Dementia Care-Interview with Kelly Willenborg

A song can do what arguments, reminders, and “just try” sometimes can’t: reach your loved one when dementia has made everything else feel impossible. We sit down with Kelly Willenborg, a brain health gerontologist and the founder of My Memory Works, to talk about why personalized music can spark connection, ease agitation, and bring back flashes of identity even in moderate to advanced stages.

Kelly explains her drug-free Healing Headsets program, including what makes these devices senior-friendly (simple oversized buttons, built-in player, micro SD playlists) and why access matters when music therapy isn’t available to everyone. We also get practical about caregiving: how to build a meaningful playlist, how many songs families can expect, and when to turn music on so it actually helps rather than becoming background noise.

We dig into real-world challenges like sundowning and bathing resistance, with a clear strategy many care partners can try immediately: start the right music about 15 minutes before the tough moment. Along the way, we talk memory cafes, peer support, Music Bingo, and how these tools can support people living with dementia or Parkinson’s while also giving caregivers a bit of much-needed respite and hope.

If you found this helpful, subscribe, share the episode with a caregiver friend, and leave a review so more families can find these dementia caregiving resources.

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Transcript

Welcome To Patty’s Place

SPEAKER_01 0:10

Welcome to Patty's Place, a place where we're going to talk about grief, dementia, and caregiving. I named this podcast in honor of my mom, Pat, who passed away from dementia about two and a half years ago. I'm your host, Lisa, and I just want this to be a place where people know that they're not alone and they can come here when they're feeling very overwhelmed. So grab your cup of tea, your cup of coffee, or if you're having a really bad day, a glass of wine, and come join us. Today I'm really excited about our guest. It is Kelly Willenborg. She is a brain health gerontologist and facilitator of drug-free interventions. She founded My Memory Works, which is W-O-R-X. Uh and she offers this is so cool, healing headsets as also a lot of other things. So welcome, Kelly. I'm very excited that you're here.

SPEAKER_00 0:57

Thank you. And I want to say cheers. I noticed you had your logo on your coffee cup. Yes. And I I wanted to follow suit with you as the host. So uh cheers to you, and I appreciate the opportunity to spread the word on this ministry.

SPEAKER_01 1:14

Yes, yes.

From Concerts To Music Healing

SPEAKER_01 1:15

So um how did you come up with this idea? Healing headsets. How did this come about?

SPEAKER_00 1:23

Well, I originally was in music promotions. Okay. So I promoted um Woodstock bands, Canned Heat, uh, Jefferson Airplane, did some reunion tour. Uh that there was about an 18-city reunion tour that I thought that was gonna, you know, the peak of getting out of small town music promotion and getting into more of a national level. And I did a show actually in Joaquegan, and I realized that what I what I truly was interested in that moment when the music started as a promoter, your job is done. And I could see what the first notes of those familiar songs were doing to every different walk of life, and how it was bringing the street cleaner and the white-collar executive all on the same playing field, and everybody's the stress was melting. And I thought I really want to use music to help people, help people who are suffering. And that's when I switched gears from music promotions into music healing. Okay. I did I started something called the healing jukebox first, and that was in that was in uh 2010, and I was bringing music percussion around to senior living and memory care locations throughout central Illinois, drum circles and structured rhythmic activities. And so that's really, and I did that for six years. Okay, and that was called the Healing Jukebox. That's how I came up with the name and sort of morphed into uh the Healing Headset program.

SPEAKER_01 3:12

Okay, so it is similar to music therapy in many ways.

SPEAKER_00 3:17

It is uh so I am not a music therapist. Um that is a they the music therapists are college educated, they have taken clinicals, and I always want to make sure they are using um certainly in parts of what they do, personalized music, but this is really a way for people to have access. Unfortunately, there are not enough music therapists to meet the number of people with dementia, nor do we have budgets or the backing of funding from health insurance and so many of these Medicare. There, we don't have enough funding or enough people. So we need other players. That's where someone like myself would come in, or a drum circle facilitator would come in. This cause is way bigger than just a few people, right? You've made a whole podcast based on dementia, and you're there's um it's a growing problem. So we I feel like we have to work as a team that delivers different levels of music intervention. So we it is being used in a therapeutic way, but I just wanted to make that distinction between what a music therapist does as a clinical side.

SPEAKER_01 4:42

And my mom, through hospice, was able to have a music music therapist come and visit her. And and I knew when I heard that they offered this, I I knew that was right up her alley because she loved music. She she gave me my love of music. And the first time that the music therapist came, the next day, the caregivers could not wait to come up to me and tell me what a difference it made. My mom went downstairs to a party. She was all involved. They couldn't get her to leave her room. And then I was there a few times. And the one time she couldn't remember my name, didn't know who I was, but boy, she knew the words to my girl. She started singing along with it.

SPEAKER_00 5:24

It is an

Why Music Breaks Through Dementia

SPEAKER_00 5:25

it's really incredible uh the way that music moves through these wide pathways on both the right and left side of the brain, uh, circumvent circumventing uh areas of plaque and tangles, maybe if somebody's had a stroke, other areas that may be damaged for whatever reason that these that they are up against a neurodisorder. And because of the way music travels on that widespread path, that gives us the opportunity to connect to our musical memories. It's really, it's uh it's a gift, it really is.

SPEAKER_01 6:03

It really, it really, really is. And I knew like I so I would play the music that I knew she loved too. You know, even at the end, I was playing all her favorite songs and stuff. I was like, I knew she could hear it. And I know you mentioned on your website you say music is powerful. What does that mean to you, anyway? What does that mean for people?

SPEAKER_00 6:25

Powerful to me is if and I'll use a an extreme example, but not uncommon, is when someone is predominantly nonverbal and when they hear the right music, and suddenly a word comes out or a sentence comes out, or they went from a um being completely unconnected, no self-expression, right? Where and then hearing that right song, and suddenly the spark in their eyes, then looking up and sharing maybe it's a smile, maybe it's a glimmer. And I that's why the um the movie, and I was involved in this movie a little bit called Alive Inside, they chose that as the movie title because it really describes what can happen when we use the right music.

What Healing Headsets Actually Are

SPEAKER_01 7:30

So explain to me exactly what are the healing headsets for someone who's not familiar with this. Okay.

SPEAKER_00 7:37

So the headset, and I'm gonna I I hold on here. Sure. The headset itself is going to it's over-the-ear fashion. So for anybody in the younger crowd might think of uh beats headsets, right? Okay, and the over-the-ear headset um has inside of it a music player. The music player, these are wireless, and what we were using in the past, I have been through so many generations of this. I started out with CD players, okay, and a large cart and lots of CDs. Moved to an iPod, those still are cumbersome. Wires, losing them, etc. This has been um very efficient because the wireless and the fact that the player is built inside it's one device instead of two. And the uh we load their favorite songs on a small SD. It's called a micro SD card, it's the size of a fingernail, your pinky nail, and we put that into the headset. It only has uh three buttons and they are oversized. So the headset is actually um manufactured so that it's senior-friendly. Okay, good to know. Yes. That in and of itself is hard to find, right?

SPEAKER_01 9:02

It is just with my dad his iPhone, yes.

SPEAKER_00 9:09

The finger dexterity, um, our our ability to use our fingers and uh for whatever the task might be. This has really there's been a lot of thought put into the design of the headset. And I mentioned just momentarily the movie Alive Inside. The headset was actually designed by the film director, oh, okay, Michael Rosotto Bennett from Alive Inside. He and I have collaborated uh multiple times over the years. I was involved in helping promote the movie when it first came out, and then um I worked with Michael for about a year and a half, and then really now I'm taking the headsets that he designed and distributing them. So I want to give, I just want to make sure I give Michael a shout out because of his work with the film was how this uh became something that was crafted specifically for its user.

SPEAKER_01 10:12

Which I just think is so it's such an awesome thing for somebody with dementia, you know, to put those songs in there for them to hear. Because for my mom, you know, like sh she was way back, and so that's what she appreciated. I was always saying I'm glad I listened to her stories because I was able to follow her and jump right into her stories, but music plays such a role, you

Free Headsets And Building Playlists

SPEAKER_01 10:35

know, in all of that. So, well, first of all, they're free. Is that is that correct?

SPEAKER_00 10:42

Yes. So we uh the target is reaching people in their homes. Okay. That's our first, that's our primary target. So if you're a care partner and you are uh caring for somebody with dementia, um, you know, it does it's it does the its best work if they're maybe moderate to advanced stages. Okay. So if somebody has mild MCI, mild cognitive impairment, if they're in the early stages, those are those are times to try to document what are the songs. Oh, yeah, good point. Yeah. The most to you, because they could become one of your most valuable tools as the disease progresses. So I would encourage people to get their uh playlist or favorite song list as a homework project if they have been diagnosed with MCI. You were asking about, you gotta get me back on track here.

SPEAKER_01 11:50

That's okay. Yeah, so I see on your website there's a button they could click to request it, and they're they really are free.

SPEAKER_00 11:57

That's so I do have people say, Yes, I just wanted to call to see if you were legitimate. Is this a scam? Right.

unknown 12:05

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 12:06

Because our seniors are constantly targeted for things like that. Yeah, and it's it's a legitimate project.

SPEAKER_01 12:13

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 12:14

Um, what I have I have written for lots of grants. I've tried to partner with so many different programs. And what happened as uh somebody that is trying to advocate this movement is that I got very frustrated with not finding the funding. And I felt that it was too important as a tool for not just the person with dementia, but also the care partner to have active respite or to gain, and we can talk a little bit more about gaining cooperation. So it was important to me that all income levels were had accessibility to the headsets. So it's it's being funded um through private donations. Okay. Um and I want to give a shout

Using Music For Bathing And Sundowning

SPEAKER_00 13:05

out to um JJ Adventures, JJ Gaming. They were one of our biggest sponsors. Okay.

SPEAKER_01 13:11

And so, as how does can this help, especially like with sundowning and bathing possibly? Because those are big ones for people with dementia. You know, the agitation ramps up with showers, bathing, and in sundowning. All of a sudden they seem to be okay, and then boom, it's they're just agitated.

SPEAKER_00 13:33

Exactly. I I just had a discussion with a woman yesterday about when to put the headset on. We were talking specifically about bathing and starting the music about 15 minutes prior to that task, whatever it might be. Maybe they're uh maybe it's wound care or uh whatever it might be that that you're noticing a pattern of uh pushback from them. Get the music going about 15 minutes prior to, so that those neurochemicals can fire up and they are um really in a in a better state of mind. So you're really teeing yourself up for uh someone that is um they're because of the neurochemical boost, they're going to naturally be a little more open-minded. It's not a guarantee, right? But most of the times we need all the help that we we can get, right? Exactly. The more we can get into it and really maybe we're gett having them stand up and dance a little bit to it because we know that the one big the biggest obstacle of the day is about to take place. So maybe we even put on splish flash, taking a bath as one of the songs on at whatever it takes to start getting in the mood, but using that music uh about 15 minutes prior to.

SPEAKER_01 15:09

Yeah, and sometimes I mean there are days you have to use every single, you know, every trick in the book that you have, and then other days, one and it's fine. You just moment to moment it changes. So anything that you can give the caregiver it can help to add to add to that. So you said it makes it easy to use because of the buttons. So what if they have a hard time locating the power button? Like if it's the person with the dementia.

SPEAKER_00 15:39

Yes, I I do recommend having the care partner hit the on button for them. Okay. They can hit the on button and then place it first, checking for volume to see if it's suitable. Okay. That's no matter what. And then um that way it's already turned on and the person doesn't have to worry about um the dexterity issues. We just have the care partner put it on for them.

SPEAKER_01 16:09

That makes sense because sometimes like they forget, they don't know what the buttons are and stuff for all types of things, phones, remotes, and everything. So uh what if they have trouble adapting to keeping them over their ears? Any suggestions? Uh I'm gonna jump back just momentarily.

SPEAKER_00 16:29

There are depending on the level of the cognitive changes, um, I have had a few clients that have used a textured sticker, something fuzzy or something that makes it stand out, the so the power button stands out. Oh, okay. And that has been that has worked for a few people. It really does depend on the individual and where they're at. Um you were asking about those. So one of the questions that people commonly ask me is what about hearing aids? You were talking about ears. And that is at least, at least half of the folks that have hearing aids have no problems with it. I usually suggest to, if they can get a hold of maybe a grandkid's headset or a neighbor's headset, just to try it as an experiment. Okay. With what it feels like to have something over your ears. If they are ultra sensitive to putting a hat on or um things of that nature, it might be good to test what does a headset feel like on them.

SPEAKER_01 17:43

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 17:43

There have been times where um we've this is really rare. I've sent out over 2,000. Okay. And I think I've had maybe three where somebody said it's not working. So um then I donated a small um wireless speaker that they could put the micro SD card in, and the speaker played the music for the person. So we were still able to accommodate them.

SPEAKER_01 18:10

Okay. And so how many songs can somebody load?

SPEAKER_00 18:14

So, you know, I don't know about you, but I like to get bang for the buck, even though it's free. Right. But I like to get the most out of an opportunity. So those that do their homework and put some real thought

Comfort Tips Hearing Aids And Workarounds

SPEAKER_00 18:30

into what songs was there a school song or a wedding song, or uh what there's a lot of ways we can um give people ways to ask the right questions, ask siblings. Uh the more homework they do on the input means that we're gonna have a few more artists and we can make the playlist longer. If somebody only gives us a very few, sometimes I've somebody gives us four artists to choose from, you're gonna end up with maybe 25 or 30. Oh, it's a good thing. But if you have lots of lots of artists, you might have any, you might have 70. Oh, that's that's a lot. That which is good. An average, an average. I like uh an average is probably somewhere around that that 40 number.

SPEAKER_01 19:24

Okay, but that that is a lot. That that's a lot of good good music that can get them in a lot of different areas to to think of, you know, it's not just like five songs on repeat, you know. Exactly. Yeah, so that that's really cool. Now, I noticed when I was on your website, you also have some other activities too. So you have like uh um a memory cafe because you're in Effingham, Illinois, correct? That's correct, yes.

SPEAKER_00 19:51

Um so started a memory cafe called Club Maverick for our local community as a place for um stimulation, connection, a safe place with the right type of dementia-friendly activities. And uh that's I think in its second year. And like many memory cafes, it is um housed and ran by our local library. So the Effingham Public Library is in charge of that. And we hope we have it once a month on the first Tuesday of the month at 10:30 a.m. So we'll I hope we we are continuing to try to reach more people um to grow. It's it's it's difficult uh because we we the brain is an organ just like anything else in our body. So we getting people to um realize the value of peer support, no matter what the ailment is, we're really working on destigmatizing and um trying to let people know that this is a safe place that you could not only help your loved one, but also maybe get tips and guidance from other care partners while you're at the activity.

Memory Cafes And Peer Support

SPEAKER_00 21:10

Thank you for asking about that.

SPEAKER_01 21:12

Yeah, that's very important because uh my dad and I made friends with other family members of the other residents where my mom was, and that was so powerful because they they still know exactly how you felt and different tricks and tips that they use and stuff. And then it was nice to know that when if my dad and I weren't there or something, uh you know, they would become be able to tell us, oh no, my mom did this or that, and we could say that to about their um their loved ones as well. And then I know you were talking earlier, so you're starting Music Bingo, is that correct?

SPEAKER_00 21:48

Yes, okay. Really excited about being able to offer this. Um, it it's a a program that can be done online. Okay. Uh, and we have some in-person. Groups that are starting. I'm trying to talk to some centers in Chicago about being part of our pilot. So the um the online program is starting next week on Wednesday, June 3rd. There is a group called the Dementia Action Alliance that folks, if they go to the website, it's d anow.org. Okay. And they can register to be part of the music bingo game. And we send them their an their own unique bingo card and they print it off. Maybe they get some help from a family member. They print it off and then they join in on a one-click link for a Zoom. So we're on a meeting and they're in with other folks that have dementia. And we welcome care partners or those with dementia. This is a safe place. Um you don't have to don't have to be great at naming that tune because we do we give people a chance, but we also uh announce what the song is, and um we just have a lot of fun with this new program. We'd love to have some listeners join us next week.

SPEAKER_01 23:15

I think that would be really fun to do it because it's like it's still stimulating them and trying to remember the the name of the song. And I mean, I've done music bingo just in the community just for regular, and I have I, you know, I like it sometimes better than regular bingo, but I think for person with dementia with the caregiver, that could be an activity that you can do with them and hopefully that calms them or puts them in a nice space for that evening at least for it.

SPEAKER_00 23:43

It does. I ran the program in uh in-person event in Florida, and my very first game, somebody with dementia, uh advanced dementia that was nonverbal, came and she ended up winning the game, the first game I've ever uh hosted. Oh good. And it just it really kind of left me in tears because the joy that she left with enjoying music from her past and then being the uh champion of our little event, uh you can see what difference it made in the rest of her day. The care partner reached out to us a few days later and thanked us and wanted to make sure we had more events coming up. So I um it is it also challenges people by when you look at the card, you're using visual spatial skills to locate the song on the bingo card.

SPEAKER_01 24:41

So it really can help all different levels. And I know um in my mom's memory care facility, they played bingo a lot, uh, but they never played music bingo, which I never thought of like they should.

Music Bingo For Connection And Joy

SPEAKER_00 24:55

That's something that could it's a this is I want to give a shout out to AMI Entertainment, they're one of the big jukebox companies um globally, uh-huh. And I was able to partner with them and to work on licensing music and creating this program. Um, that this is really state of the art. There's not anything else like it out there. So I I know they have a Chicago office, and I just wanted to make sure that uh that I gave a shout out to those that are helping make this possible.

SPEAKER_01 25:25

Um, and then I also saw because you have a lot of cool stuff on your website, you have a program called Peace for Parkinsons. What's that?

SPEAKER_00 25:34

So I live in a rural area in Illinois, and our uh unfortunately, those, you know, Parkinson's is the fastest growing neurodisorder on the globe right now. And we did not have support for our those with Parkinson's. They were driving to local communities to try to get some sort of um activities or support group. So I set up a Parkinson's office to be able to help people with Rocks Steady Boxing, give setting up support groups monthly, and really just trying to build a community and then also scholarships for nurses and therapists to become educated on um how to work and provide care specific to those with Parkinson's. So it is a um a big part of also all another big part of what I uh what I do and where my passion lies. Well, and a lot of times they overlap too. They absolutely do. They absolutely and so um, if somebody is in the advanced, and thank you, whether you knew it or not, for leading me down the path, but if somebody is in uh more towards the latter stages of Parkinson's and have cognitive changes or common, the headset, contact me. We'll set you up with a free headset. Parkinson's would also be included in this. Um, I can't the memory cafes I've set up 70 different memory cafes have received kits with a headset for every person in their memory cafe and all across the nation.

SPEAKER_01 27:14

So, how can somebody where can they find a memory cafe?

SPEAKER_00 27:18

So um a memory cafe alliance has a directory that they can go to the memory cafe alliance, look for the directory, put in their local area, find where that cafe is, and um I can work with the cafe leaders to set up headsets for the members of that cafe if we haven't already. I've got several, several in the Chicago area that um have taken taken advantage of this opportunity. But um I I wanted to mention that because I said it's mostly working with people that are at home, which a lot of the folks at the memory cafes are living at home. But this is another way for us to be the whole goal is to get it in the hands of more people.

SPEAKER_01 28:04

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 28:04

Um, if I work with a memory care or a senior living home, I do ask for um there is a donation, you know. We we're looking for a little fee because they actually have budget budgets to work with.

SPEAKER_01 28:16

Oh, exactly. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 28:17

Yeah. So that is the difference.

SPEAKER_01 28:20

Yeah. No, I mean, I agree. I think that I because when I I actually found you on Instagram, I was scrolling through and I was like, this is such a cool idea. Like, I wish I would have had that for my mom, you know. I don't know if she would have worn it for a long time, but I know she would have liked it. You know, because she just always loved music, you know. So uh I used to joke with her and tease her that she didn't uh know um uh uh a lot of the the big you know bands you think of from the 60s, like Jefferson Airplane or that, and she would laugh and she'd tell me she liked Gary Lewis and the Playboys and the Mo all the girl groups from the Motown. Like I still have her 60s, 45s, you know. And she didn't, you know, I was like, Are you sure you were alive in the 60s? You know, she's like, that's what I like. And then she loved Barry Manilow. That was her favorite.

SPEAKER_00 29:07

Oh, Copa Cabana.

SPEAKER_01 29:09

Yeah, she loved Barry, you know. So uh she listened to all that type in Barbara Streisand and you know, and with that, which is what I played. So, but it made such a difference for her, you know, to listen to all that. And I think sometimes um as caregivers, we we forget about those little things that can help because you're so overwhelmed, you know.

SPEAKER_00 29:33

You know, I I recently had a gal say, when my husband isn't listening to it, sometimes I am, and it's helping me too. And I

Parkinson’s Support And Wider Access

SPEAKER_00 29:45

want to it so uh they there are so many things happening that's such a heavy load for care partners, and that's what's driving this as a gift to them. Uh, the testimonials that come back every week uh just bring me to my knees sometimes as to the difference that it's making. And we just hope that um we can reach a few more people. Now, if someone stops using it for whatever reason, it becomes inactive. We do ask people if they would send it back to our office or bring it back to the memory cafe, maybe that they received it from. And we um clean it and re-home it, set it up with a new playlist. So we're we want to build some sustainability in the program so we can keep growing.

SPEAKER_01 30:38

Oh, well, that's good to know too. That that's nice as well, too. And I and I know I why do you think a caregiver should take the time to share the music with their loved one? How do you think that helps?

SPEAKER_00 30:56

I I think that we need to remember how important it is to be very specific with them. Uh that are uh certain songs are gonna unlock their past and give them the ability to express them. That when we take away the ability to express ourselves through words, the song, where does all of that go when we cannot express ourselves? You can imagine how agitated you would be if you couldn't really get out the words or had to ask something that you that you asked before, you're asking again, you're confused. There, um what they are managing internally, and then they don't have the ability to express that frustration in healthy ways sometimes. This can not only help the person with dementia if we choose the right songs again, uh, but it that will be a direct, a direct effect on the care partner if they can create some calm and joy in that person's world for for a little bit, right? A lot of people, I mean, uh sometimes it's a matter of limiting how much they listen because some people love it so much they have it on for hours. They want to they want to get in the car and go to the doctor's office with it, be able to um pass the time in the in the lobby of the doctor's office waiting for 40 minutes. Um, there's lots of ways it can be used. I'm thinking the dentist might be a good place. Yeah. I haven't heard anyone say that.

SPEAKER_01 32:43

Because uh as the disease progresses and when they're in different situations that are new, different environments, it's very overwhelming and overstimulating for them, and they get agitated very easily. Uh, so I could see where that would help.

SPEAKER_00 32:59

So, what happens from and not to uh get too scientific, but what happens

The Brain Science Behind The Calm

SPEAKER_00 33:05

is it is a way our default network is that ticker tape of thought that's going and creating that extra anxiety. It is a shortcut to hacking the default network. Uh I myself have some ADD. So if I'm gonna work on a chore that's hard for me to keep my attention, laundry might be one of them. In order for me to stay on task, I've got my headset on because it is keeping my default network. I get focus and attention because now I am no longer getting the ticker tape of thought. So it's hacking our brains, the neuroscience of our brains, so that we can uh leave that chaos that can that's happening. And um, that's why people use it to work out. It's not just the um the beats per minute, but it's also the attention and focus um that it can that it can booster.

SPEAKER_01 34:09

See, music is just amazing. That's why I love it so much with it. So now if somebody is interested in this, they can go to your website, correct? And it's my memory work, it's W-O-R-X. It's dot org. My memorywork.org. And they can all the information's there, they can click on requesting the healing headset, and they can get that going, and they can also look up the memory cafes and and all of that to help with it for this. Like I said, I just think it's awesome. I just, you know, I just think it's such a cool way to help people with dementia because we it's easy to get frustrated with them because it's it's such a overwhelming disease, you know. And as the caregiver, you know, I've heard many people that I've talked to that it's it's actually, I think, harder on the caregiver than it is for the person with dementia, depending on where you're at with things. And you just need to figure out something, little things. And I also think with the music too, it helps you be in that present moment with with your loved one, you know.

SPEAKER_00 35:19

It does. We just recently started offering a a companion connect so that you can actually be listening to the same song as they are at the same time. Okay. And um it is because if they're in, if they're in the hospital and maybe they're they're sharing a room or they're at adult day centers. Right. Yeah, yeah. And there's other things happening in the room, then two people can have the headset on and they can enjoy it together. Uh, so there are there are lots of opportunities, but um we we just we just want to contribute to to something that has been a um it's it's really it's been a

How To Request And Final Thanks

SPEAKER_00 36:05

public health issue, and we need more players and funding and people that can help help those that are facing it. So we're just trying to do a little a little small part. That's all. We're just wanting to do a small part, and music's actually doing the work.

SPEAKER_01 36:22

Well, it is, and I just think it, like I said, I just think it's a great idea, and hopefully more people will try it because you gotta try everything when you have a loved one with dementia, you know, even if it helps them for a few minutes, you know, maybe the next day it'll help them even longer, but it also can bring out, you know, for those few hours and it'll make them happy or might bring out some more elucent moments, or just you just don't know, but it's it's a good way.

SPEAKER_00 36:49

For sure. Somebody somebody said their loved one was shedding tears during a song, and she said, Do you want me to turn it off? And he said, No. That was a release that that person needed to have, yeah, and they were enjoying it. And uh there's just um it it's incredibly powerful. I'm I'm grateful to be involved and thankful to have some of the donors that are keeping us going, um, and and finally getting the some momentum. I've really been trying to get this rolling for several years. So programs like yours that can help us get the word out that uh is uh I I'm very grateful for that. Thank you.

SPEAKER_01 37:36

Well, like I said, I found you on Instagram. So I was like, I was like, oh, this is so cool, you know, because like I said, my mom was always a music lover. She taught me to learn love music, and so I just think any kind of healing, you know, that's like drug-free that can help, you know, we need to let people know that there's something so easily available to help, and helps the caregiver too, with it, you know.

SPEAKER_00 38:03

Mutually beneficial. Yes.

SPEAKER_01 38:05

Yes. So people can go to your website, mymemorywork.org, and hopefully you'll get a lot of people that will check in for it. So thank you so much for joining us today. You are welcome. Thanks for having me around today, and cheers to you. Yes. So hopefully everyone will check out your what your website and you've enjoyed this discussion here and learning more about how music is healing for especially with people with dementia and Parkinson's or any neurocognitive disorder. So please leave us a review. Join, uh, subscribe to our channel, and hopefully, if you enjoyed your cup of tea, your cup of coffee, or that bad day, and a glass of wine, and please join us for another episode of Patty's Place.