A music-assisted routine 

Here are three one-click YouTube playlists that fit the music-assisted routine for Stage 3 dementia. You can open each and select the one that suits the time of day.

• Songs From the Old Days (Dementia Care Playlist): Familiar oldies – great for morning/engagement.
• Calming Music Therapy for Dementia Patients: Soft piano/ambient – excellent for rest time and wind-down.
• Sing along songs for people with dementia: Sing-along style familiar songs – good for activity/interaction time

Here’s a “lockable songs” list — meaning a fixed, familiar set of songs to play daily for someone with Dementia Stage 3. These are songs shown to help memory, reduce agitation, and create safe-comforting routines. You can “lock” in these tracks so the routine becomes predictable and grounding.

These were selected because they are familiar, simple, and many older adults respond well to them — especially with dementia.

1. You Are My Sunshine (Jimmie Davis) — simple, bright, easy to sing.
2. Somewhere Over the Rainbow (Judy Garland) — gentle, nostalgic, comforting.
3. Amazing Grace — familiar hymn, soothing melody.
4. Moon River (Henry Mancini / Andy Williams) — mellow, evocative.
5. A few chosen favourite songs from the person’s youth (ages ~18-25) — research shows music from that period often elicits strongest memory/response.

• Create a playlist with just these songs (maybe 5-10 tracks) and label it something like “Daily Safe Music”.
• Use this playlist every day at the same time(s): for example dressing, walking, after dinner, bedtime.
• Keep volume moderate, environment calm (lights soft, minimal distraction).
• Use these songs as cues: when the song starts, person knows “it’s time for …” (e.g., dressing, activity, rest).
• Monitor response: if a song triggers distress or confusion, consider replacing it with another from their youth/familiar era. (See resource Playlist for Life)
• Keep this locked list consistent for weeks/months, so the brain finds familiarity and safety in repetition.

• Music stimulates many brain areas (emotional, memory, auditory) and even when other memory systems decline, musical memory can remain relatively preserved.
• Studies show that music-based interventions for people with dementia can improve mood, reduce behavioural distress and agitation, and support cognition.
• For advanced stages, music can serve as a “safe anchor” for reminiscence, familiar emotion, and engagement — even when verbal communication is very limited.

Given the benefits, a full-day playlist (that runs with minimal intervention) can be a very useful tool for someone at Stage 3 dementia — offering structured, soothing, familiar musical input across waking hours and rest.

Here’s a suggested structure dividing the day into segments, with different vibes, tempos and activity levels appropriate to typical rhythms for someone with dementia.

Time periodPurpose / moodMusical style suggestions07:00-10:00 (morning)Gentle wake-up, orientation, familiar startsSoft, familiar tunes from early adulthood of the person (their 20s-40s) – nostalgic, moderate tempo10:00-12:00Engagement, moderate activitySlightly more upbeat, rhythmic—encouraging gentle movement, singing along12:00-14:00Lunch/quiet timeCalm, mid-tempo, relaxing background music to support digestion/rest14:00-16:00Afternoon stimulation / social timeFamiliar favourites, slightly more dynamic, perhaps songs that invite humming/singing16:00-18:0