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Songs for an Alzheimer's group!

(54 Posts)
kittylester Wed 05-Sep-18 15:26:34

I help at a Memory Cafe where we always finish with singing.

The song sheets and CDs we have are a bit hard going and often we have people going faster than the track. So, the other volunteer and I decided that we would try and compile a list of songs for people of around our age that can be sung just using the word sheet.

What would you like to sing, with others. We have a couple of ex professional singers who are very good at keeping the tune going.

Ones that always go down well are Que Sera, This Old House, Michael Row Your Boat and most early Elvis.

All help gratefully received. (There's another - Help)

merlotgran Wed 05-Sep-18 15:32:07

You mean you haven't got, 'We're All Going on a Summer Holiday?' grin

paddyann Wed 05-Sep-18 15:33:06

anything thats from their era ,so from the 40's onwards

MissAdventure Wed 05-Sep-18 15:37:13

Is this the way to Amarillo?

MissAdventure Wed 05-Sep-18 15:37:58

Delilah..

cavewoman Wed 05-Sep-18 15:44:03

Definitely "Delilah" ! Never fails.

Grannyknot Wed 05-Sep-18 16:29:00

Hi kitty this list is from our local Memory Cafe:

You Are My Sunshine
She’ll Be Comin’ Round the Mountain
This Land is Your Land
Amazing Grace
Over the Rainbow
Memories are Made of This
You Must Remember This
A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square
Top Hat White Tie and Tails

I love singing to Alzheimer's patients, I think that music is a powerful tool in the handling of Alzheimers.

ninathenana Wed 05-Sep-18 16:37:48

My first thought was "Bluebirds over the White Cliffs of Dover"

Singing in the Rain

Some good ones there Grannyknot

Eglantine21 Wed 05-Sep-18 17:00:18

Love to sing along with Delilah. Especially the haha haha bit!

SueDonim Wed 05-Sep-18 17:35:39

It depends on the age group. Our friend has quite advanced Alzheimer's but he's only 70 so those old wartime songs don't mean anything to him. He's very much reliving his 20's again so it's songs from the 60's that he remembers.

kittylester Wed 05-Sep-18 17:55:38

We are trying to find songs from the sixties onwards. Lots of this group are in their 70s.

It is amazing gk how singing helps the mood of people living with Alzheimer's isn't it!

BlueBelle Wed 05-Sep-18 17:59:32

War songs, white cliffs of Dover , we ll meet again, Long way to Tipperary Pub songs Down at the old bull and bush George formby cleaning windows Waiting on the corner of the street, Sally
White Christmas ( not yet)
People with dementia can often sing word perfect even when they don’t know which way is up

MissAdventure Wed 05-Sep-18 17:59:48

I just called to say I love you..
Saturday night at the movies..
Pretty woman..
I'd like to teach the world to sing..

SueDonim Wed 05-Sep-18 18:15:39

Just Google hit songs of the 60's. There are loads of lists. This is just one. www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2016/07/the-100-best-songs-of-the-1960s.html

Grannyknot Wed 05-Sep-18 19:27:47

Sue that's very true - sometimes the Memory Cafe here says "Please sing songs for the Baby Boomers!" (how scary is that! So ... one of the big favourites is "Suspicious Minds" everyone knows the bit that goes "We can't go on together, with suspicious minds ..." grin

Kitty I have a bittersweet "final" memory of my late MIL who already had advanced Alzheimers so she didn't know who I was at that stage, making her way slowly across to me where I was picking out one of her favourite Scottish songs on the piano and singing along, and she whispered "Thank you" with a beautiful smile on her face. She was no longer talking at that time, and we were all amazed.

kittylester Wed 05-Sep-18 20:24:14

I am interested in what people on here would like to sing along to.

We have a Cd of songs for babyboomers! War songs are too old for our members!

annodomini Wed 05-Sep-18 21:27:15

I'm sure that's true kitty. Some posters here have forgotten that many people with dementia are of our (at least my) generation or even younger.

Nana3 Wed 05-Sep-18 21:35:12

Not war songs I was told by my mum and others at the care home, they did however like hymns. I enjoy singing along to songs of praise kitty. I remember the words from school days.

Eloethan Wed 05-Sep-18 22:13:36

Magic Moments
Catch a Falling Star
Nellie the Elephant
Bring me Sunshine
Doh's a Deer
The Young Ones
Mud Mud Glorious Mud
If you were the only Girl in the World
Release Me
Anniversary Waltz

MissAdventure Wed 05-Sep-18 22:49:06

Now there are three steps to heaven (doo-wah-wah-dooo!)

MissAdventure Wed 05-Sep-18 22:50:50

Its not unusual to be loved by anyone... smile

Bathsheba Wed 05-Sep-18 23:06:52

Lipstick on your collar
(She was) Only Sixteen
Will you still love me tomorrow
It might as well rain until September
I got you babe
I can't stop loving you
It's my party (and I'll cry if I want to)
Going to the Chapel of Love
Blowing in the wind
Wouldn't it be lovely
Itsy bitsy teenie weenie yellow polka dot bikini
Seven little girls (sitting in the backseat)
(I wanna be) Bobby's Girl
If I had a hammer

Jalima1108 Wed 05-Sep-18 23:23:27

Raindrops keep falling on my head
Twist and Shout
Rock Around the Clock
Tie a Yellow Ribbon
I met him on a Monday and his name was Bill - da doo ron ron etc.
Dancing Queen
Rocket Man
The Great Pretender
Why do Fools Fall in Love?
Hit the Road, Jack
Puff the Magic Dragon

MissAdventure Wed 05-Sep-18 23:26:03

Lily the pink!

MissAdventure Wed 05-Sep-18 23:29:35

Yellow submarine..
Wake up little Suzie..
California dreaming..