With Alzheimers- do songs remain?

Powerfully.

When Hardi and I lead and play at nursing home services, the staff know that it is very worthwhile to bring even the most-deteriorated patients from the Alzheimer (or stroke) floor. These patients come in wheeled in chairs, on beds, or nested in vinyl recliners, looking entirely moribund and/or absent. They are often the first to chime in on an old hymns, faces transfigured. Some, past being able to sing, just transfigure. Or nod along in time, or exclaim Bible verses.

Our experience of this is one thing-- after all, we might merely be gratifying ourselves with a fantasy that the people respond. But the STAFF-- now we're talking about a significant allocation of resources. To see the institution allocating resource is a strong affirmation of what we can only hope is true.

~Susan