Music Therapy Assessment of Older Adults in Nursing Homes

Music therapy has been demonstrated to be useful in the treatment of older adults with various needs, at a time when the older adult population is growing rapidly. Music therapists working with this population need an assessment protocol that can provide an holistic, musical, ability-based picture of the nursing home resident while indicating what kind of music therapy treatment, if any, is best suited for that resident. Due to the time constraints placed on professionals in the nursing home and the number of assessments already given to residents, the music therapy assessment must also be maximally efficient. A music therapy assessment protocol for older adults to be implemented in group or one-on-one sessions is included.