Before my sweet Daddy passed away in December of 2010, (from
complications from Alzheimer’s and heart problems) one of the things my Mama and I could do to reach him was with music.

 (My Daddy outside one of the pubs where we had lunch on our trip to, Germany.)

If he was having a "bad day" (which happened more
than not towards the end), his reaction or what we called his "jolt"
back to us, was almost immediate when we played music.  Specifically the music he loved.   I am a Daddy's Girl, so of course I had it all in MP3 form on my computer and transferred it to my phone and then would play it for him.  The list included:  Benny Goodman, Tommy Dorsey, Count Basie, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Duke Ellington, Glenn Miller, Artie Shaw, Dizzy Gillespie, basically any Swing Music. 

Others were:  Johnny Cash, Waylon, Ray Charles, Hank Williams, Jr., Marty Robbins and he LOVED, Charlie Rich (and so do I).  I threw in some, John Coltrane and the wonderful, Miles Davis.

Daddy bought several Pavarotti albums off the tv (when I was little).  Yep, they were Time Life!  HA!  He also introduced me to, Elizabeth Schwarzkopf.  I didn't care that much for opera at the time so, I would leave the room when he would play her records.  Funny though, I have always enjoyed listening to, Pavarotti and loved laying in the living room floor listening with Daddy. 

I remember him letting me play, Ozzy's, "Crazy Train" in his truck on the way to softball practice, along with, The Beastie Boys.  He actually liked some of their songs!  :)

Obviously I could go on about music, but will spare you.  I am so grateful that both of my parents loved and do love music; and, the fact that our home was ALWAYS filled with music of some kind.  Whether that music was in the kitchen with my Mama, on the intercom, downstairs in the basement with my Daddy on his HUUGE shortwave radio that was always on his work bench or in my room on my small set; we were always listening to music.

 Needless to say, it thrilled both my Mama and I that we were
able to "wake him up" with music.

Today, I watched this video and obviously it was sponsored
by Apple, but it shows exactly what happens when a person suffering from memory loss is "jolted".

**Side note:  Before Daddy passed away; I did a lot of reading and research on people with Alzheimer's.  I found that the part of
our brain that, for the lack of better verbiage, "enjoys" music is
also the same part of the brain that stores memories.  It's the part that appreciates/enjoys art.  When I say art, I mean paintings, pictures, prints, etc...  The brain is a pretty amazing thing, huh?

Here's the video that shows that, "awakening" or
the "jolt" of a patient listening to music that HE loved listening
to in the past - not music that someone else/caregiver enjoys. 

I hope this helps anyone that reads this, that is losing a
loved one to Alzheimer's disease or any complications related to memory loss, revisit with that loved one - no matter how short that visit may be.