This project is designed to provide music via custom iPod playlists to your neighbors who are living with dementia and other disabilities. Throughout the elder care community, recognition of the power of music has been rapidly growing. Familiar music can cut through the fog of dementia and provide comfort and companionship to people previously regarded as 'beyond reach." If you have a Facebook account, you may have seen the videos of elderly people seemingly coming back to life seconds after a pair of headphones is placed on their ears. You can also imagine how valuable the gift of music could be to other individuals who have become isolated by a physical disability that makes getting out into the community challenging. As a provider of in-home primary medical care, palliative care and hospice services to more than 600 homebound and disabled patients in Washington County, we see people like those described above every day. We recognize the homebound population as complex human beings, complete with all of the joys, sorrows and moods that we all have. As a result, we do our best to find ways to do more than simply treat their physical diseases, symptoms and disabilities. We would like you to help us to reach out to them.

All proceeds from this grant will go towards buying basic iPods, music, headphones and other equipment (cords, wall chargers, etc.) for Housecall Providers’ Bringing Music Home program. These funds will be dedicated solely to providing Washington County patients with the experience of the music that they love and remember. It will also enable us to garner the data and results necessary to successfully pursue long-term funding for additional patients here and throughout the Portland metro area.

Housecall Providers is a nationally recognized local nonprofit healthcare organization that provides specialized services to some of our community’s most vulnerable members. We offer compassionate physical, emotional and spiritual support through life’s journey. We do not turn anyone away based on inability to pay. The Bringing Music Home program will be run as an initiative of the Housecall Providers volunteer program. While our long term plan is to serve patients throughout our service area, 42% percent of our patients reside in Washington County (608 out of 1453 people). Currently we have only 11 iPods and a very modest library of donated CDs. As such, we have not been able to launch this program to serve our homebound, disabled and hospice patients living in Beaverton and its surrounding communities.

A chance viewing of the film “Alive Inside” inspired our Volunteer Coordination staff to become certified as a “Music & Memory” site. In the time since we have been working to develop our program, and only lacked the funds to get started. Our target group for this project will be the homebound patients within our care in Washington County. This grant should provide for more than 20 iPods, which may be used multiple times (depending on length of use and condition). In addition to all the patients served, families will also benefit, knowing that their loved ones are happier and more engaged. Caregivers will as well, as studies have shown that music can decrease negative behaviors and often reduces the need for psychiatric medications. But most importantly, countless members of the Washington County area will benefit, as this grant will allow us to launch in the area and qualify for future support from other funders. Caregivers will be surveyed about program satisfaction, as well as health and behavioral outcomes. The project is ready to launch immediately upon funding, and is designed to be an ongoing program. This award will enable us to begin. We’re excited to start reaching out to people living with dementia and other disabilities through the power of music.

Want to Help?
Housecall Providers is looking for community members to serve as volunteers who would like to visit homebound patients in their area, to assist with various aspects of the music program and donations of materials (CDs, iTunes gift cards, and used iPods). They would be especially thrilled to have a volunteer who has the ability to change batteries in older iPods.

Contact: Todd Lawrence / Housecall Providers · tlawrence@housecallproviders.org · 971-202-5515
Learn more:www.housecallproviders.org/music-memory-a-new-gift-to-our-patients/ and www.facebook.com/Housecall-Providers-173153744324/