BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) - As a recent Harvard study reveals that adults aged 75 or older have the highest suicide rate of any group at 20 per 100,000, music therapy programs at local senior living homes are working to combat loneliness and depression among elderly residents.
Verna Law regularly visits senior living homes in the Baton Rouge area, providing live concerts that encourage residents to sing along and participate. At the Barclay House of Baton Rouge, Law’s performances are more than entertainment — they’re therapeutic interventions for residents, many of whom have dementia.
“When I’m performing for them, I incorporate a lot of movement so that it can help to engage both sides of the brain and also just get them more excited,” Law said. “It’s just better for them, it’s more heal