National Senior Citizens Day: What Does Music Therapy Look Like with Older Adults?
August 21st marks National Senior Citizens Day, a celebration of the older adults in our lives for their achievements and wisdom as valuable contributors to our country. This day was implemented in 1988 by President Ronald Reagan when he established Proclamation 5847. When reading his proclamation, there was one quote that stood out to me, which was, “We can best demonstrate our gratitude and esteem by making sure that our communities are good places in which to mature and grow older—places in which older people can participate to the fullest and can find the encouragement, acceptance, assistance, and services they need to continue to lead lives of independence and dignity (Peters & Woolley, n.d.).” It reminded me of Perfect Harmony Health’s core values, C.A.R.E.S., where the “R” stands for Respect.
At PHH, we deeply care for our older adult populations. One of our missions is to presume competence, no matter the population. When approaching our older adults in sessions, we encourage all participants to engage, regardless of their ability level. With this, we adjust participation according to needs. As we consider the needs of older adults, you may be wondering what a typical music therapy session involves and the goals we aim to achieve.
At Perfect Harmony Health, we engage with older adults in individual and group settings. Group offerings may include programs like Singing with Parkinson’s, our virtual choir; Groovin’ with Grandfriends, an intergenerational music therapy program; or group music therapy sessions in Memory Care or Assisted Living settings. In these settings, we typically see diagnoses such as depression, anxiety, cognitive impairment, dementia, Alzheimer's, and Parkinson’s disease, to name a few. Despite the diagnosis, everyone is invited to participate!
Group settings vary in structure, but we always love to begin with a familiar “Hello Song!” Similarly, Goodbye Songs give structure to the end of a session. A Hello Song serves as an expectant beginning to assess how participants are feeling that day. One that I typically use is “Good Mornin’” from Singin' in the Rain. Since this song is familiar to our older adults, all participants love to sing along. The Hello Song gives a great opportunity to give individualized attention to each participant, welcoming them into the session space, and respecting them as an individual.
I find that themes are very helpful for expectancy and a framework for my older adults. Some useful themes I have used are the following:
Food/Cooking
Marriage & Weddings
Working & Chores
Popular Dances
Traveling the U.S.A., and much more!
By using these themes, older adults can work on various goals, such as arousal. Altering arousal by engaging with instruments, whether by themselves or with the assistance of a music therapist, allows the client to receive multiple inputs of stimuli, such as auditory feedback, visual feedback, and tactile feedback, thus engaging the senses and altering states of consciousness or arousal. Additionally, for example, when listening for specific musical cues to play an instrument, this ensures that the client is oriented and responding to external stimuli in order to make wonderful music with the rest of the group!
Movement is also a popular goal in music therapy sessions. According to the CDC, older adults 65 years old and older require at least 150 minutes of physical activity to maintain functionality. By including movement into music therapy, clients have a decreased risk of falls, heart disease, strokes, and improved quality of life ("Moving matters for older adults," 2024). During music therapy, music therapists can use techniques such as Progressive Muscle Relaxation, which is defined as selectively tensing and relaxing muscles in a pattern-like fashion (Nunez, 2025). Paired with music, movements are easy to follow and engaging! Other techniques may include guided meditation and deep breathing techniques to aid with relaxation and to decrease anxiety and depression.
Socialization is also an important skill to maintain in our memory care and assisted living facilities. This can be presented in a variety of ways, such as songwriting. An example of this is using the bridge of “Cheesburger in Paradise,” by Jimmy Buffett, by utilizing blanks for each participant to describe what their favorite burger toppings are. After singing this verse, others can relate and describe their likes and dislikes with one another, also triggering memories for some participants. The familiar structure not only supports the writing process but also encourages the client to engage in executive functioning skills by planning and deciding where each response should belong. Older adults can sometimes experience feelings of individuality in between transitions from a familiar environment and routine to the unfamiliar. In music therapy, it is very important to give each client a voice and recognize their individuality and unique characteristics through music.
Memory is also a key component of music therapy services. Most of our clients experience diagnoses involving memory loss as a symptom, such as forms of dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease. Music can access multiple parts of the brain at once, such as the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex, which target memory and emotion ("How music affects memory and concentration," 2023). By activating multiple parts of the brain simultaneously, music can unlock memories, maintain working memory, and more! This can be found in recalling specific song lyrics within a song or triggering memories via lyrical content within a song. Opening up the floor to sharing memories with others can spur conversation as well as trigger memories for others in the group!
By focusing on these targeted areas during sessions with older adults, we demonstrate respect, foster accessible music engagement, and honor their life experiences with empathy. As we celebrate National Citizens Day, take a moment to honor the older adults in your life by asking how they are doing, asking them about their life experiences, and spending quality time with them. Each older adult has lived a life worth sharing and deserves the right to feel honored, without feeling infantilized. This generation is so wise and vivacious, and if you give them the opportunity, you will connect with them in ways you wouldn’t expect, such as simply sharing a smile or sharing musical experiences with them that will improve their overall quality of life.
References
How music affects memory and concentration. (2023, July 20). Levine Music. https://www.levinemusic.org/about/news/how-music-affects-memory-and-concentration/
The importance of celebrating individuality in senior care. (2025, February 5). Downers Grove Rehab & Nursing Home In Illinois. https://www.downersgrovehc.com/blog/the-importance-of-celebrating-individuality-in-senior-care?635fdd93_page=6
Moving matters for older adults. (2024, September 30). Moving Matters. https://www.cdc.gov/moving-matters/older-adults/index.html
Nationaldaycalendar.com. (n.d.). nationaldaycalendar.com. https://www.nationaldaycalendar.com/national-day/national-senior-citizens-day-august-21
Nunez, K. (2025, July 22). Progressive muscle relaxation: Benefits, how-to, technique. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/progressive-muscle-relaxation
Peters, G., & Woolley, J. T. (n.d.). Proclamation 5847—National senior citizens day, 1988. Welcome to The American Presidency Project | The American Presidency Project. https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/proclamation-5847-national-senior-citizens-day-1988
