Bringing Harmony to Care: KIMS Care AFH Partners with Magnolia Music Therapy

At KIMS Care Adult Family Home (AFH), providing compassionate, person‑centered care is more than a mission—it’s a commitment. Based in Arlington, Washington, KIMS Care offers 24/7 support, personalized health monitoring, and a warm home environment for residents with Alzheimer’s, dementia, traumatic brain injuries, mental health needs, and more.

To further enrich the lives of their residents, KIMS Care AFH recently formed a dynamic partnership with Magnolia Music Therapy (Magnolia MTBC). This collaboration brings the therapeutic power of music directly into the daily lives of residents—offering emotional connection, cognitive stimulation, and joy through expert-led sessions. Magnolia Music Therapy

In this blog, we explore how this partnership enhances quality of life at KIMS Care, dive into the benefits of music therapy for seniors, and highlight what makes this program unique.

About KIMS Care AFH

What KIMS Care AFH Offers

• Licensed 6‑bed adult family home with 4 private rooms and 1 semi-private, all fully accessible for wheelchairs and walkers.

• 24/7 RN oversight and on-call home doctor, with personalized care services including medication management, health monitoring, appointment coordination, housekeeping, and nutritious, home-cooked meals.

• Care specialties that include Alzheimer’s/dementia, traumatic brain injury support, hospice, developmental disabilities, and mental health services.

• A comfortable, home-like setting—including cable TV, free internet and phone, a large deck, manicured lawn, and engaging indoor/outdoor spaces for social and recreational activity.

Under the leadership of Pauline Nyaga, RN, who brings more than 16 years of experience in geriatrics, skilled nursing, and adult family home care, KIMS Care ensures consistency, compassion, and clinical oversight.

Why KIMS Care Embraced Music Therapy

KIMS Care has long prioritized resident‑centered, holistic care. As they look for evidence-based ways to support memory, mood, and engagement, music therapy naturally complements their services. Since the home already offers activities programs and music among its offerings, integrating a professional music therapy partner was a logical and powerful next step.

About Magnolia Music Therapy (Magnolia MTBC)

Mission & Services

Magnolia Music Therapy is a board-certified practice serving seniors across the Seattle and Greater Seattle area. Their mission is to use music interventions strategically to address cognitive, emotional, and social needs of older adults, especially those impacted by dementia or age-related challenges.

They offer group music therapy sessions tailored for long-term care settings, designed to:

• Enhance memory recall and reminiscence

• Promote emotional well-being via preferred music

• Structure reality orientation (especially helpful for dementia)

• Address challenges like sundowning by offering morning and evening sessions that energize or soothe residents appropriately

Team & Expertise

The lead therapist at Magnolia MTBC is Allie Cable, MT‑BC, a certified music therapist who studied at Seattle Pacific University. Her training includes extensive work in assisted living and memory care communities, giving her a strong foundation to support seniors in long-term care settings.

Magnolia Music Therapy is also listed in the Music Therapy Association of Washington’s directory, serving geriatrics, dementia care, and hospice populations.

How the Partnership Works

Integration into Daily Life at KIMS Care

Rather than being a one-off activity, Magnolia MTBC’s program is embedded into the weekly rhythm of life at KIMS Care. Sessions are scheduled regularly and adapted to residents’ cognitive levels, preferences, and energy patterns.

• Group sessions take place in shared living areas, promoting social interaction and a sense of community.

• Morning sessions help stimulate engagement and lift mood for the day ahead.

• Evening sessions provide calm, soothing music to support winding down and reduce agitation.

• Therapists often use residents’ early-life music preferences to spark reminiscence and deepen emotional connections.

KIMS Care also collaborates with Magnolia to customize care plans. The two teams share feedback on residents’ progress, responsiveness, and changing needs. This ongoing communication ensures sessions remain meaningful, safe, and effective.

Safety and Personalization

Because KIMS Care is medically staffed with RN oversight, integrating Magnolia’s program includes safeguards such as:

• Monitoring residents’ health status before/during sessions

• Adjusting activity intensity for those with fatigue or mobility issues

• Modulating stimuli (volume, rhythm, duration) to residents’ comfort

• Ensuring all participants are included, engaged, and respected

The Benefits of Music Therapy for Seniors

Cognitive & Memory Support

Music has a unique ability to reach parts of the brain often spared by dementia. Familiar songs and melodies act as memory cues, unlocking language, emotions, and memories that are otherwise harder to access. Reminiscence-based music therapy is especially powerful in this regard.

Emotional & Mental Health

• Reduces anxiety, agitation, and depression

• Supports emotional expression even when words are difficult

• Fosters social connections and purpose through group participation

Behavioral & Sleep Regulation

Music therapy can help with sundowning syndrome by providing a calming or stabilizing routine as daylight wanes. It also supports reality orientation, which helps reduce confusion and disorientation in residents with dementia.

Quality of Life & Engagement

Simply put: music is joyful. It brings laughter, smiles, and shared moments. Regular sessions break monotony, provide meaningful engagement, and help residents feel seen, heard, and emotionally enriched.

Incorporating music therapy into adult family home settings has been gaining traction as a best practice in memory care and geriatric wellness.

Stories from the Partnership

Though still early, anecdotal feedback from residents and staff at KIMS Care suggests positive shifts:

• Residents are more engaged in sessions, tapping along, singing, or recalling lyrics.

• Staff note improved moods on days with music therapy, with less agitation or restlessness.

• Family members report hearing favorite songs or themes from past decades being sung or humming spontaneously.

As the partnership evolves, KIMS Care and Magnolia MTBC plan to collect more structured feedback, tracking outcomes like agitation levels, mood changes, and sleep quality.

Why This Collaboration Matters

• It aligns perfectly with KIMS Care’s philosophy of holistic, person-centered care.

• Magnolia MTBC brings expertise not typically found in small care homes, making professional music therapy accessible in an intimate setting.

• This collaboration illustrates how small-scale, high-quality care homes can offer innovative, evidence-based programs without the infrastructure of large facilities.

• For families exploring memory or senior care options, this kind of partnership is a compelling differentiator that underscores commitment to wellness, dignity, and meaningful engagement.

Looking Ahead

As KIMS Care and Magnolia MTBC continue their partnership, they hope to:

• Expand session frequency or formats (e.g. individual music therapy, instrument play)

• Develop tracking tools to measure impact (mood, engagement, behavior)

• Share their model as a replicable template for other adult family homes

• Engage families—inviting them to join sessions, share preferred music, and increase continuity between home and care environments

Conclusion

By joining forces, KIMS Care AFH and Magnolia Music Therapy are weaving music into the fabric of daily life—elevating care from simply meeting physical needs to nurturing emotional, cognitive, and spiritual dimensions. This partnership stands as a shining example of how compassion + innovation = a richer, more dignified life for seniors.