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Students Bring Music to Alzheimer’s Patients
Department: Communication
By Alana Gaither
Sophomore PR major

Many young adults have favorite songs that strike up certain emotions and feelings each time they are played. For Otterbein students that might mean hearing Mumford and Sons, Jason Aldean or Drake. The same is true of most everyone, including those that suffer from Alzheimer’s disease. Perhaps their fond memories are rekindled by Duke Ellington, The Andrew Sisters or Doris Day.

Otterbein’s Health Communication students, after seeing videos of Alzheimer’s patients coming alive when they listen to such music, are taking action.

The students planned a strategic campaign to collect used iPods from students to donate to patients. Students contacted a local Westerville senior care facility, Emeritus at Outlook Manor, and were invited by the facility’s Memory Care Director to meet the Alzheimer’s patients.

“Music has always been a pick-me-up,” says senior, communication student Brooke Buchanan. “It’s so humbling to see how something as simple as collecting an iPod that is not being used anymore can have such a rewarding effect on someone else.”

The students enjoyed meeting with the Alzheimer’s patients and learned a lot about memory and Alzheimer’s disease. They saw firsthand that when music was played the patients perked up.

Students have been addressing sororities and other student organizations with the hope to collect 30 used iPods. Other students are researching a donation of new headphones and used CDs. If you have an iPod you no longer use or CDs of the music of yesteryear and would like to donate them, please contact instructor Dan Steinberg at dsteinberg@otterbein.edu or Brooke Buchanan at Brooke.buchanan@otterbein.edu.