AARP Hearing Center
Special thanks to Brookletts Place - Talbot County Senior Center and Carpe Diem Arts for sharing in the release of this report. Carpe Diem Arts presents live and in-person monthly concerts at Brookletts Place.
AARP and the A. Barry Rand Fund of the AARP Foundation has partnered with the NeuroArts Blueprint Initiative to conduct an independent economic analysis by Deloitte on the impact of music engagement on individuals living with Alzheimer’s disease, their caregivers and society. This effort represents Brain Health Action #5 (see full list of Actions here), and a joint project of members of the Brain Health Action Collaborative with others.
This study is the second in a series of economic analyses produced within the NeuroArts Blueprint Initiative, a partnership between the Johns Hopkins University’s International Arts + Mind Lab, Center for Applied Neuroaesthetics and the Aspen Institute’s Health, Medicine & Society Program. Launched in 2019, the NeuroArts Blueprint Initiative aims to propel the field of neuroarts, which is the transdisciplinary study of how the arts and aesthetic experiences measurably change the body, brain, and behavior and how this knowledge is translated into specific practices that advance health and wellbeing.
Susan Magsamen, co-chair of the Brain Health Action Music, Arts, and Design Track of the Brain Health Action Collaborative is the Founder and Executive Director of the International Arts + Mind Lab. Susan has been working with Sarah Lock and others at AARP and Aspen Health over several years to look into ways to affordably promote brain health.
The analysis demonstrates how music engagement can enhance the overall well-being and quality-of-life for individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and their caregivers.
Key findings of the report include:
- The economic value of incorporating music engagement in the care of individuals with Alzheimer’s Disease and related dementias [AD] is between $5.1 billion and $11.9 billion annually.
- Every dollar invested in music engagement for individuals with AD results in a $1.70 return on that investment, annually. For caregivers, every dollar invested returns $0.70 in that investment, annually.
- Every dollar invested in music engagement for individuals with AD and their caregivers yields a $2.40 return in that investment, annually.
Read the full report here, and watch a short video overview above.
Special thanks to Jennifer Shulman, Ruth Katz, Andrea Camp, and Susan Magsamen for their partnership on this project.
