[Dixielandjazz] Re: Music in Nursing Homes

[Steve barbone]

(Nancie Beaven) baglady4 at juno.com at baglady4 at juno.com wrote:
 
> I have been a volunteer at Nursing Homes for the past 7 years, spending most
> of my efforts in the *Free Spirit* (Alzheimer's)units.
> 
> I have witnessed incredible communication with the precious residents because
> of the music.  From comotose to communication.  Sometimes the
> resident will remain in a cognitive state for a period of time even after the
> music has ended.
> 
> I always tell the family to stay for the music presentations, because they
> will get their loved one back for at least the hour or so that the music is
> playing.  We play OKOM, big band and songs from the 20's, 30's, and 40s and
> some show tunes.
> 
> Some family members bring old 78's into their loved one's room to play..
> and they enjoy communication with their mother, father, aunt, grandmother for
> as long as the music is playing.
> 
> It's a pity the nursing homes don't have a budget for this all important
> entertainment/therapy!!!!!

Some do have small budgets,($200) especially around Christmas Time when
family members visit.

But these are the gigs OKOM bands should do free, if there is no budget. The
first ones will surprise you since you see all sorts of semi-comotose
patients. There is little response except in their eyes. And if you are not
prepared for it, you may be shocked, the first time you see dementia.

We regularly visit a few nursing homes run by charities. They get virtually
no entertainment. They probably do not have much time left on earth and we
notice few familiar faces the next time we visit.

I think I posted about last December's concert at one of these. The old
black man in a wheel chair. He spoke to me as we were setting up two years
ago. He was a dancer, knew/danced with Honey Coles. Knew and danced with the
first Lindy Hoppers, Frankie Manning and Norma Miller. That first time we
spoke about Ellington, Basie, Chick Webb, The Savoy etc. He said next time
I'll bring my tap shoes. I thought he was kidding.

He was there a few months later. As we were playing (quartet) I could hear a
drumming rhythm, like a click click. I look around and there he was in his
wheel chair, with feet squeezed in to the tap shoes, tapping away in perfect
time. We later did Tea For Two with appropriate breaks for him. It was very
moving to see this nearly 100 year old man tapping from a wheel chair, with
what were probably his only remaining personal possessions.

We just did a gig there last month. Sadly, he was no longer there, having
passed away a couple of weeks before. We (the quartet) are better for having
known him.

Cheers,
Steve Barbone 

PS. The nursing homes we visit have some of the most caring employees I've
ever met. Woefully underpaid, and serving patients who don't have a pot to
piss in, they cheerfully make the patients as comfortable as they can.
Like I said, money is not a motivator. Motivation comes from within.