Improv Music Therapy for Older Adults

Open to people ages 60 years and up

Inclusion criteria for the Person Living with Dementia (PLWD) are:

• Age 60 and over, living independently in the community
• Medical diagnosis of Alzheimer's Disease
• Mild dementia defined as MoCA score between 16-20, or MMSE score between 19-24
• Sufficient visual and hearing acuity (age-related to normal hearing loss with assistive devices)
• English fluency rated fairly well to well (self-rated English fluency)

Inclusion Criteria for Caregiver are:

• Age 18 or Older
• Moderate to good English fluency (self-rated English fluency)
• Willing to participate in intervention with PLWD

Exclusion criteria for PLWD are:

• Medical diagnosis of severe dementia (any etiology)
• Non-AD dementia diagnosis (e.g., frontotemporal dementia)
• Serious medical condition (e.g., an end-stage disease requiring hospice, aphasia from stroke, paralysis, brain injury) requiring active medical management that would interfere with participation in the study
• Significant difficulty moving the hands or arms (severe arthritis, neuropathy)
• Plans to move out of the area within six months

Exclusion criteria for Caregiver are:

• Current but not prior severe psychiatric disorder (e.g., schizophrenia, bipolar disorder)
• Serious medical condition (e.g., an end-stage disease requiring hospice, aphasia from stroke, paralysis, brain injury) requiring active medical management that would interfere with participation in the study
• Plans to move out of the area