Danvers-Based Elder Care Provider Awarded $10K Music Therapy Grant

DANVERS, MA — A Danvers-based hospice and palliative care provider was awarded a $10,000 grant to support its musical therapy program for Alzheimer's and dementia patients.

ACM Lifting Lives, the philanthropic partner of the Academy of Country Music, awarded the grant to help support Care Dimensions' music therapy program costs, which are not reimbursed by insurance.

The goal of the ACM Lifting Lives grant cycle is to support "diverse and dynamically impactful organizations providing music therapy programs, shining a national spotlight on their critical work, and harnessing the healing and rejuvenating power of music."

Care Dimensions was one of a handful of organizations selected from about 150 grant applicants from across the nation.

"Dealing with memory loss can be such an unmooring experience," said Care Dimensions Creative Arts Therapy Coordinator Li Kynvi, who is a board-certified music therapist. "One of the magical things about music therapy, especially for those with dementia, is that music lives in them in a whole different way than even the last five minutes does, which enables them to not only engage with a song, but engage with the person sharing it, and delivers a feeling of connection and competence often difficult for dementia patients to experience."

Taylor Wolf, senior manager of ACM Lifting Lives said: "I'm reminded daily that music is a powerful force — not only for enjoyment but also for reaching hearts and minds in a way that other things can't."

She saluted Care Dimensions and other award recipients for harnessing music's power for therapeutic means.

"These worthy organizations continue to make an impact on so many people nationwide through their essential work, and thanks to the incredible support from Music Has Value, we're thrilled to expand our support to memory care programs, specifically," Wolf said.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. X/Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)