Tennessee: Music & Memory Tennessee

With a $1 million Civil Monetary Penalty grant from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the Tennessee Department of Health, the Tennessee Arts Commission (TAC) is implementing Music & Memory Tennessee, a model therapeutic-music program that will serve at least 2,200 patients in 147 nursing homes over the next three years. Music & Memory Tennessee will provide personalized playlists of music favorites for residents and present live music and arts performances in about half of the state’s nursing homes. The program aims to improve the well-being of the residents—including those with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease—in an effort to enhance their communication, socialization, sense of calm and physical stability while simultaneously decreasing their feelings of agitation and need for medication. Additional benefits will include greater staff efficiencies and reduced costs for participating care facilities. TAC’s partners in Music & Memory Tennessee include the Tennessee Commission on Aging and Disability, Tennessee Health Care Association, Alzheimer’s Association TN Chapter, Alzheimer’s Tennessee, Volunteer Tennessee, the Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum, and Music & Memory, Inc. Find out more from TAC Director of Arts Access Kim Roberts Johnson.