"An aggravation of mental tension leads to disorders, such as amnesia and then dementia. When an elderly patient starts to forget things, he or she is irritated and becomes prone to bouts of anger. Most of us blame this on age and do not treat it as a medical problem," he says.

According to Tiwari, slow and melodious music has been found to soothe tension. "Experiments have shown that if elderly patients are put in conducive conditions where soft and melodious music is played for about an hour, the blood pressure turns normal and the patient is able to view things in a more rational perspective. When thinking becomes clear, he is able to recall better and thus gradually combat the problem of amnesia and dementia," he says.

Nearly 5 percent of elderly people older than 60 suffer from dementia, and this statistic goes up to 8 percent in people older than 65. In addition, Tiwari says, 15 percent of those older than 70 suffer from such disorders, and nearly 25 percent become afflicted by the time they reach 80.

Music also counters loneliness that is becoming increasingly prevalent in modern homes. "Their children go out to work and grandchildren are busy with their own lives. The elderly parents in the family becomes prey to loneliness, but if music is played at that time, their attention is diverted and there is less room for self-pity," Tiwari says.

However, the choice of music for this therapy must be right. Rock, pop, and fast music is a taboo since it is known to aggravate negative emotions and raise the blood pressure. "The music must be melodious, soft, and soothing. We usually ask the patient for his likes and dislikes and if he has a particular preference, we play that music," Tiwari says.