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Lutheran Homes and Health Services welcomes Music Therapy Intern

Sara Williams, music therapy intern, recently joined Lutheran Homes and Health Services (LHHS) for a 6-month internship program. The residents of the Fond du Lac Lutheran Home and Tarfa Terrace Assisted Living receive the benefits of music therapy on a daily basis during one on one room visits, small group choir, sing-a-longs and intergenerational meeting with local day cares. Becky McElroy, full time music therapist at LHHS for nine years, completed the application process to enable LHHS to be an official site for an intern. With only seven music therapy intern sites in Wisconsin, LHHS is one of four nursing homes certified and the only one in the Fox Valley area.

Becky and Sara work with all the residents at LHHS. “The residents respond to music therapy in a variety of ways. They feel more relaxed, have lower anxiety levels, experience pain relief or reduced pain,” states McElroy.

As music therapists, Becky and Sara strive to provide services that are effective in restoring, maintaining and improving the well being of residents. Music Therapists are educated and qualified for providing therapy just as a Physical or Occupational Therapist. Music therapy helps residents with social, psychological, physical, cognitive and spiritual needs. Many residents with dementia, who do not verbally communicate, will sing every word to a favorite song and stay on-task longer with music therapy.

As an official Music Therapy Intern site, LHHS will provide the guidance and skills for an intern to successfully promote the importance of music therapy after the 6-month internship program. Sara Williams states, “I am excited to be at LHHS and coming in to the home of residents and touching their lives with music”.