Years ago I had a client who had practically lost the ability to talk from Alzheimer's. Her aphasia was such that the most she could speak was one or two words at a time and only in response to someone speaking to her or asking a question. What she would do however, was sing bits and pieces of songs as she walked down the hall.
One day somebody left toddler's toy that belonged to her great-grandson in her room. It played nursery rhymes and just to try to keep her occupied I was playing (and singing) with the toy. Much to my surprise, since I was a fairly new caregiver at that time, she started singing too. After that we would sing every time I went to see her, mostly nursery rhymes and any "old" songs I could think of. She loved it and would perk up and smile a lot more during our time together.
Music can help you relate to and communicate with someone who has lost some of their ability to communicate. I've used it to cheer up clients and to calm them down. Try to keep the songs to things they recognize. If they have an old record collection you can use this as a clue to what their tastes in music were. You can also do some research as to what was popular while they were growing up and in their early adulthood and try a few different types of music to see what they respond to. Music can help so much when you are caring for someone with Alzheimer's disease, try it out and see if it can help you and your elderly loved one.
Reference:
Why Music Matters for Alzheimer’s Patients
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