2023 IMPACT REPORT STORY

More Johnny Cash, please. Of course, studies show a connection between music and brain function. Of course, exercise is more fun when there’s a little rhythm. And, of course, we all have a song that immediately takes us back to a particular time and place whenever it comes on the radio. We know all that, but it’s something altogether different to see firsthand the impact on the clients of the regional Orchard House Medical Adult Day Center. 

Orchard House offers a medically supervised day program to help keep aging adults as independent as possible and provide respite to caregivers of patients with chronic conditions, including dementia. 

A $2,300 grant from The Guilford Foundation helped expand and enhance its music therapy program in 2023. While there is always music playing in the activities room, the grant has allowed Orchard House to bring in local musicians weekly, to encourage exercise and interaction with handheld musical instruments like maracas, and to show old musicals featuring the likes of Bing Crosby and Gene Kelly.

“It really brings them back to a really good place,” Executive Director Mary-Margaret Mandel said. “Maybe they have dementia or cognitive issues, but we put on a Frank Sinatra song, and they know every single word.”

It’s common to find clients holding hands, moving in unison to the rhythm, singing along, or smiling contentedly during a concert or musical screening. According to Guilford client Lois Stauffer, the only thing that could make the program better would be more Johnny Cash. 

In addition to the annual grant, Orchard House received $20,000 in ARPA funding to purchase a van to transport Guilford residents to their facility.

Follow this link to learn more about the Orchard House Medical Adult Day Center.