Workshop to Teach How To Fight Dementia With Music

Professionals and family caregivers who work with older adults can learn about the benefits of music-based programming through a workshop presented by the Great American Songbook Foundation.

The 2018 Perfect Harmony Fall Training Workshop, sponsored by Applegate Elder Law, is scheduled 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 25 at the Foundation's home, the Palladium at the Center for the Performing Arts, 1 Center Green, Carmel.

Endorsed by the Greater Indiana Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association, the Foundation's Perfect Harmony program is a research-based, dementia-friendly initiative for seniors living with Alzheimer's and other neurodegenerative conditions. The program uses group singing and other song-based activities to promote mental and physical well-being, an approach proven effective even for those facing significant cognitive challenges.

The Oct. 25 workshop will educate activity directors, nursing staff and other healthcare professionals and caregivers about the science behind integrating music and movement into daily activities. Participants will collaborate in developing activity plans for older adults with a focus on five aspects of wellness: motor/physical, communication, social/emotional, cognitive and sensory. Presenters will include:

• Allegra Sorley, board-certified music therapist and musician-in-residence at Woodland Terrace of Carmel;
• Maria Holmes, licensed social worker and Alzheimer's Association care consultant;
• Michael Rothenberger, owner of Home Care Assistance Carmel.

Pre-registration is required, and tickets are available through the Center for the Performing Arts at www.TheSongbook.org/phworkshop. The $20 registration fee includes lunch and supplementary materials provided by the Foundation. For more information, contact Renée La Schiazza, Manager of Programs & Communications, at (317) 844-5832 or rlaschiazza@TheSongbook.org.

About the Great American Songbook Foundation
The mission of the Great American Songbook Foundation, founded in 2007 by five-time Grammy Award nominee Michael Feinstein, is to inspire and educate by celebrating the Great American Songbook - the timeless songs of pop, jazz, Broadway and Hollywood. A Cultural Affiliate of the Los Angeles-based Grammy Museum, the Songbook Foundation is committed to preserving and elevating this rich legacy by curating physical artifacts of the Songbook's creators, performers and publishers; operating a multimedia exhibit gallery; overseeing the Songbook Hall of Fame; offering programs for the public and research opportunities for scholars and artists; and providing educational opportunities for student musicians, including the annual Songbook Academy summer intensive. More information is available at www.TheSongbook.org.