Before being admitted to the Sunnybrook Veterans Centre in 2014, Lloyd Bodie was living alone in an apartment, unable to cope with his changing medical needs.
Lloyd was a Corporal in the Canadian Army during the Second World War and after the war he became an engineer, working with a focus in the nuclear power industry.
His greatest passion in life is music, especially the music of Wagner, Mozart and Beethoven. “I’ve been able to get through some hard times in my life because of music,” Lloyd says.
When he came to Sunnybrook, music was used as a catalyst to help him adjust to living in a dementia care unit and to help maintain his passion for classical music listening.
Soon after his admission, Lloyd started regular sessions with his music therapist, Audra Young. Her focus was to validate his memories by selecting the music in the moment and providing a shared listening experience.
Using various music therapy techniques, together they have been able to find a safe space for Lloyd. One where he can listen to the music that he knows so well, often being brought to tears, verbally expressing joy and fulfillment.
