More than 50 Auxilians turned out on a bright, not quite winter but not yet spring day, for the annual March Brunch hosted by St. Andrews Village on Wednesday, March 16.

Following a splendid meal that included quiche, French toast, soup, muffins, salad and a dessert tart housed in a shell of thin chocolate, we were introduced to Music & Memory, one of the newest programs at the Gregory Wing.

Jerie Phinney, director of activities for St. Andrews Village, gave a brief history of the program, which began with social worker Dan Cohen, who worried about having access to his favorite music should he ever be confined to a nursing home. He began researching ways to bring music back into the lives of those confined to long term care facilities and in 2014 introduced "Music & Memory," a program that seemed to unlock stored memories through the use of music for dementia and Alzheimer patients.

But not just any music. The research shows that our emotional attachments to music are highly individualized. We have all had the experience of being magically transported to another place as soon as we hear a certain song or melody that has held special meaning in our lives. Using this premise as a starting point, the Music & Memory program was launched at St. Andrews when it received certification to begin bringing it to residents in September 2015. The process of building each individual's unique play list of music begins with a lengthy interview with the resident and, perhaps, family members to find those pieces of music that evoke a positive emotional response for the participant. This can be a difficult but rewarding exercise with those patients who may have already become nonverbal or non-responsive to their surrounding environment. The reward part of this process comes when a song hits the right chord within a patient who suddenly "awakens" to their music.

Jerie treated us to many examples of just such miracles. Listening to music with personal meaning has helped dementia and Alzheimer's patients achieve what previously might have been an uncharacteristic calm. Other residents have found that music tailored to their wishes has helped them work through the grieving process and several residents, once non-verbal, have been observed to smile, speak or even begin to sing along when they hear music that evokes precious memories. These are just a few of the positive results being seen at St. Andrews. The program has helped in the reduction of anxiety and depression in residents and has lessened the need for certain medications. Program participants eat better, are more responsive and the overall incidence of falls has been reduced.

Each participant in the Music & Memory program is given an iPod, headset and a charger so that once their playlist is downloaded they can have access to their music at any time, day or night, explained Holly Fulmer, a volunteer who has been instrumental in assisting residents find their memories through carefully chosen music. People living in a nursing home have very little control over their lives but the Music & Memory program gives some of that back.

Music & Memory is making a difference in the lives of several residents at St Andrews and you can help. It costs about $80 to set up the program for one individual and St. Andrews gratefully accepts donations of new or used iPods and iTunes gift cards which are used to purchase songs through the Internet; iPods or gift cards can be dropped off at the Village anytime.

To learn more about the benefits of this program check out http://musicandmemory.org/about/mission-and-vision/ or view the trailer (http://www.aliveinside.us) for the documentary called "Alive Inside" which offers visual evidence that music is good medicine.

Following the brunch, St. Andrews Village Director Lorriman Looke gave the group a guided tour of the new Zimmerli Pavilion, which is set to open very soon. The new building houses "state of the art" equipment and furnishings for 12 rehab or long-term care beds. The St. Andrews Auxiliary contributed funds for two of the several ceiling lifts that allow for the safe transfer of patients. Named in honor of our own Mary Jo Zimmerli, the facility is a dream fulfilled for the Boothbay region.