At Applewood Our House, we believe the environment matters. The right lighting and the right sound can change how a person feels — especially in memory care.
That’s why we’ve made Memory Care Lighting and Music therapy one of the first things you’ll notice in our homes. We’re installing simple, consistent routines across each house to support comfort, reduce stress, and create a more peaceful daily rhythm for our residents.
Lighting That Follows the Day
Sundowning — increased confusion, restlessness, or anxiety later in the day — is one of the most challenging parts of dementia care.
To help, our homes use lighting that follows a natural pattern:
- Brighter, cooler light in the morning to support wakefulness and orientation
- Softer, warmer light in the afternoon and evening to encourage calm
The change is gradual and gentle, so the home naturally feels more relaxing as the day goes on.
Silence can feel isolating, but loud or unpredictable music can be overstimulating.
We use carefully selected playlists that many of our residents recognize and enjoy — Big Band, classic standards, 50s and 60s favorites — played at consistent volumes throughout the day.
The goal is simple: music that feels familiar, comforting, and appropriate for the moment.
Why We Do This
Our caregivers should be focused on people, not managing light switches, speakers, or adjusting the environment all day.
By setting up the home to support calm automatically, our team can spend more time doing what matters most:
caring for residents with patience, connection, and dignity.
This system has taken work to implement across every home — but the results are worth it. When the house feels calmer in the evening and residents settle more easily, you can see the difference.
