AUBURN — Clover Health Care recently unveiled its new certified Music and Memory program designed specifically for residents with dementia.

The goal of the program is to decrease the anxiety level of residents battling dementia while increasing quality of life through music.

Certification as a Music and Memory site requires three one-and-a-half-hour sessions of webinar training. After staff training was completed, the grant provided a laptop computer for downloading music and additional resources from a Music and Memory Care Community Website.

To launch its program, Clover sent letters to families explaining the project and how they could help — by donating iPods, earphones and providing a playlist of their loved one’s favorite songs and music genres. From there, staff customized each iPod according to the information received and assigned the iPod for use with the resident.

Deb Marron, activities coordinator for Galway, Clover’s late-stage memory care neighborhood, serves as the project manager. “We now have seven residents participating in the program thanks to generous staff and family donations,” said Marron.

She said each iPod holds a customized playlist of songs meaningful to each individual in the program. Among the music selections may be wedding songs, favorite dance music, or songs an individual sang or enjoyed throughout his or her life.

“It has been remarkable seeing the response to the music,” said Marron. “It’s amazing how a familiar song or type of music can transform a person before your eyes.”

FMI: 207-784-3575.