Music Therapy Puts Toys to Good Use

       New York -  Somehow elderly alzheimer, and possibly dementia patients, respond to the soul stirring vibrations of music.  The first time you see a telephone with big numbers for handicapped people to see easier, you might think, 'cool'.  Nintendo's Wii is being used in retirement homes to help seniors get exercise.  Ipods are now sprouting up in retirement homes, as medical studies say there may be benefits of music as treatment.  Whether there is a physiological reason, or a simple cultural enjoyment has yet to be determined.  However, a New York city non-profit group, called Music and Memory, that donates iPods to nursing homes is attempting to enable the program to every nursing home in the U.S.  See also, http://www.nytimes.com/.