GOOD SAMARITAN SOCIETY-WAGNER ACHIEVES NATIONAL MUSIC & MEMORY® CERTIFICATION

Wagner, South Dakota- Good Samaritan Society Wagner has achieved national certification in Music & Memory®, an innovative program using personalized music selections to enhance memories and enrich the lives of those with dementia. Healthcare professionals from 55 nursing facilities across South Dakota were selected to receive training, equipment and technical assistance over a two-year period.

“Being chosen to develop a formal music program with proven results is an exciting and positive opportunity for our entire nursing facility. We are excited to see first-hand how personalized music can improve mood, interaction and overall quality of life for our residents.”- Michele Juffer, Administrator at Good Samaritan Society-Wagner.

Grounded in research about how brains respond to music, the program engages residents using the therapeutic potential of music to tap into deep memories and reconnect with the world. Residents may have scheduled music time throughout the week or experience music as a method to decrease agitation or anxiety and to elicit feelings of well-being. Additional proven benefits include increases in cooperation, attention and appetite. Along with enhanced resident engagement and socialization, Music & Memory nursing facilities see the program as a valuable tool for reducing falls, resistance to care and the use of anti-psychotic medication.

Music & Memory South Dakota is collaborative effort managed by the South Dakota Foundation for Medical Care (SDFMC) in partnership with the Great Plains Quality Innovation Network, South Dakota Association of Healthcare Organizations, South Dakota Department of Health and South Dakota Department of Human Services, South Dakota Health Care Association. Individuals interested in volunteering or learning more about the Music & Memory program at Good Samaritan Society-Wagner, may contact Whitney Podzimek 384-3661.

“This is an excellent opportunity for high school music students to add to college applications/build a resume assisting in implementation of a distinguished music program with our facility.”-Whitney Podzimek

Music & Memory South Dakota program coordinators, Teresa Haatvedt, RN, BSN and Kayla Nielsen, LNHA, MBA, will provide support and assistance to Good Samaritan Society-Wagner as they strive to provide a higher level of care to residents experiencing dementia. As dedicated partners, all involved recognize and are excited to discover the full potential to impact lives through music.