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In his new book, Musicophilia: Tales Of Music And The Brain, Dr. Oliver Sacks talks about the relationship of music with the human brain: “music occupies more areas of our brain than language does—humans are a musical species,” he tells us.

As a neurologist, one of Sacks’ main themes is the part music can play in the treatment of diseases which affect the brain such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. He observes that because the part of the brain which responds to music is distinct from those areas affected by dementia and Parkinson’s, people who suffer from those conditions can often dance, sing, or relate with others in a normal way while the musical sense is being stimulated. People who have suffered a stroke and have difficulty communicating with speech are often able to sing.

He speaks of groups of patients with severe dementia who live in a terrible state of confusion and isolation, but will recognize a song being played and begin to sing together, inducing a feeling of calm and enabling them to bond with one another.

There is another case of 90-year-old Woody Geist who has Alzheimer’s and has problems with his memory and communication, but continues to be a successful soloist with his a cappella group, The Grunyons. A woman with Parkinson’s who is otherwise immobile will ‘come to life’ for the length of time it takes for Chopin’s Fantasy in F Minor to play in her mind.

Music can help restore Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s patients to themselves for a while, and Dr Sacks says music therapy is crucial for them. He says you don’t need a music therapist; even playing music on an iPod can make a huge difference.

Ofra Garmaise cares for people in the comfort of their homes.

As government budgets for home care are shrinking rapidly, there is a huge need for support services for seniors.

Business Truly Cares for its Clients

April 18,2007, Toronto Sun

“The parents of the baby boomers need someone qualified to look them in the comfort of their own home,” says [director] Ofra Garmaise.

She is the owner of Homestead Care Providers Inc. (www.homesteadcareproviders.com), a company providing in-home, non-medical support services to seniors, the chronically ill and convalescents.

Family-owned and operated, the company offers services ranging from personal support to homemaking, and can help a client in their home or hospital room.

Its 24-hour services are delivered by highly skilled and carefully screened personal support workers who are supervised by a registered nurse.

“Our clients may ask us to provide personal hygiene services, light meal preparation, exercise or, simply, good companionship,” Garmaise says. “Whatever our clients’ needs, we do our best to provide warm and professional care that respects our clients’ privacy and dignity.”

She says customers find her business through referrals from health-care professionals. “Word of mouth marketing is very powerful, but you’ve got to get the right people to talk about your business,” Garmaise says. “Once you get a referral, your business is on the hook to deliver truly top-notch service.”

Knowing the importance of a stellar business reputation, Germaise plans to grow her company by building a quality management team. “You’ve got to hire good people who will carry out your values of service excellence.”

read full article at Canoe