The impact of music on the adjustment patterns of the aged at empty nest

Abstract

Music is a sound that appeals to the body and soul. As there are differnt kinds of music, so also there may be individual preferences in music preference especially as regards to the aged. The aged are individuals who have reached the age of 60 and above. They are special as well as vulnerable group. Most of the elderly have reached a stage in their lives when they live alone. This is called the empty nest period. The problem of this study was therefore to find out the impact of music in the adjustement patterns of the aged at empty nest. Specifically the study sought to asertain the effect of music on the aged at empty nest, ascertain the type of music prefferd by the aged at empty nest and to ascertain the extent of the aged accessibility to the music of their choice. The design used  for the study was quasi experimental research design. The area of the study was Enugu state. The population of the study was all the aged persons in Enugu state. The sample for the study consisted of 500 aged persons in Enugu state purposively selected. Three research questions guided the study. Questionaire, Oral Interview and Observation were the instruments used for the data collection. Descriptive statistics were used to answer the research questions. The findings showed among others that music has healing effect on the aged, music gives the aged a feeling of companiponship, makes them sleep better, greater percentage of the aged did not have access to music of their choice, and a greater percentage of the aged preffered traditional, highlife and gospel music. The study has implication for guidance and counselling. Recommmmendations were also made based on the result of the study.