The New York State Department of Health has given a grant of more than a quarter-of-a-million dollars to Beth Abraham Health Services to develop and support its drumming and rhythmic activities program to help dementia patients.
Beth Abraham Health Services will use the grant to initiate and sustain an educational program for care staff and skilled nurses, instructing them on basic therapeutic drumming and rhythmic techniques, and enabling them to incorporate these techniques in the day to day care of patients with dementia. With a proven track record of running music therapy programs, Dr. Concetta Tomaino, director of the Institute for Music and Neurologic Function and vice president of Music Therapy at Beth Abraham Family of Health Services, will lead the development of these music therapy activities through a multimedia training program.
Scheduled to run for two years, this program will provide a full-day of training workshops and interactive, on-site instruction to staff of four other local skilled nursing facilities including: The Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation in Brooklyn and Schnurmacher Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing in White Plains*; the Sephardic Home in Brooklyn; and the Masonic Dumont Home in New Rochelle. At the conclusion of this program, Beth Abraham will develop a multimedia-training curriculum to instruct additional facilities on basic therapeutic drumming techniques.
United Hospital Fund $36,000 Grant
On November 30, 2004, in an Awards Ceremony held in New York City, the United Hospital Fund awarded $36,000 in grants to Beth Abraham Health Services' Institute for Music and Neurologic Function as part of its intitiative to support innovative programs to improve health services in New York City.
The IMNF is currently putting this funding to good use in the production of three video modules that will be used by CNAs and other caregivers to provide therapeutic music experiences to people with dementia. The videos will give caregivers the tools developed by music therapists at the IMNF that have been shown to be effective in promoting communal experiences and improved quality of life for dementia patients in group settings.
Music therapists on these videos will be brought into the caregiving situation, in real time. They will demonstrate proven music therapy techniques that will be delivered, on the spot, by CNAs and other caregivers of dementia patients. That is, the videos will lead the CNA in a variety of effective techniques, including the singing of familiar songs, the cueing of familiar rhythms, call and response, improvisation, information conveyance (singing songs that convey information about time, place, person, etc.), movement to music, among many other techniques. The videos will thus empower CNAs and other caregivers to deliver therapeutic music experiences to the residents in their care. This will also enhance the CNA's ability to form relationships with residents that are based on shared experience and enjoyment of music. Finally, by supporting the caregiver in the delivery of therapeutic experiences, the videos will increase the caregiver's feeling of confidence and satisfaction in the caregiver role.
Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation: Quality of Life Grant
The Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation (CRPF) has provided 617 Quality of Life Grants to organizations worldwide since its conception in 1999. According to CPRF’s website, “Quality of Life Grants are given to programs or projects that improve the daily lives of people living with paralysis, particularly spinal cord injuries. Funding is awarded twice yearly to programs that provide assistance through access, advocacy, education, recreation, and technology, among others.”
The Institute for Music and Neurologic Function is among the recipients of the Quality of Life Grants in the field of Arts in 2004. This $5,000 grant will be used to support music therapy services in the Institute's recently opened Music Has PowerTM Recording Studio.
The Recording Studio is a music therapy project that gives people with spinal cord injuries and other neurologic disorders the means to make music, and compose and record their own songs, with the support of music therapists, using instruments that are adapted to their needs. The program utilizes MIDI-based instruments, such as the sound beam and electronic triggers, which enable people with very limited movement to produce sound. The goals of the project are to advance occupational and physical therapy, restore function, provide a medium for creativity, and improve quality of life through music. To learn more about the Music Has PowerTM Recording Studio, please click here.
For more information on this grant, see our press release.
For up-to-date information on the development of these projects, please check back soon.
