I'm a few months into my 16th year of providing live musical entertainment for Seniors in Southwest Ohio. I'm incredibly blessed to be able to do this...and nothing but this...for this long. I've met some amazing people, seen profound courage and grace and learned a lot about my self along the way. Working with members of our "greatest generation" is a privilege.

Today began as most days do, I had a single show near downtown Dayton at 2:00pm. An Assisted Living facility, this group would be fairly high functioning but with some physical or early stage memory loss issues. A mixed group, I planned on performing a variety of material from Country, Big Band and Oldies. The show was fun, everyone got involved and left in better spirits than when they walked (or rolled) into the room.

That's what I do...or rather, that's what I get to do on a daily basis, over 400 times a year.

What made today different was the phone call I received from a long term client around lunch time, asking was I available for a special performance later today? I explained that I had a performance scheduled from 2:00pm to 3:00pm, but after that I was free. "What was up?" I asked...

The client explained that one of her residents, let's call her Mary, (not her real name) was facing surgery tomorrow where they would amputate her remaining leg. She previously had had one leg removed about two months ago. Mary was getting quite anxious about the procedure and the Activity Director wanted to think of something that might soothe her nerves for a while. The director knew Mary had followed me around for several years in my public performances and asked if I would come in and spend some time with her.

This woman is facing a surgery in a little over 12 hours to cut off her one remaining leg and they think I'm the guy to help her out? "Sure," I said, "...what room number is she?"

The director didn't tell Mary I was coming in. I'm not scheduled to perform there until later in the month, so there's no way she was expecting me. "Mary, you have a surprise visitor stopping by later on..." was all they told her.

I arrived at the facility around 4:30pm. I walked to her room and knocked on the door frame and said, "Hey Mary, what's up?" Mary didn't recognize me at first but as I...

Click Reasonable Conversation here to continue reading...

Bill, I've been doing this for 15 years now and I know exactly how you feel because I have been visiting various patients who can no longer attend my shows for over 2 years now. It's an important part of my visit to a facility now. The staff will say something like "Gloria has been waiting for your visit all day now." This is so special. I never dreamed that this is what I would be doing at this age. What a privilege! Thanks for sharing.

Joe

It is a wonderful thing!
A couple years ago Semilive, Dean and I were at a nursing home in a small town near here. Same thing, the AD asked if we would go to a room to visit a girl who couldn't walk, and was a big Elvis fan.
Bill took his guitar and we sang a couple of Elvis songs for her and tears of joy ran down her face.
You get to have experiences like these on a fairly regular basis doing nursing home shows.
At another home, every time we went there, one lady, about 80, would invite Dean (she called him Pee Wee) to her room, but she had an ulterior motive! He would laugh and tell her he didn't date younger girls. It was a very sad day when we went there and she had passed away.
DonM

Bill,

I can only echo the statements of others above. We have the best job in the world, and no one knows this better than us.

Gary

Very cool Bill and I like your paper (and writing) too! I've been in the ministry before as a keyboardist/vocalist in various churches. The circuit we are on is, without question, one of the highest forms of ministry on God's green earth.

Bill

Nice going, your compassion for these folks is admirable. Also the people who work with them everyday, its a calling. I also enjoy playing for these groups. The money is not great but the audience appreciation makes up for it.

What a great story, be proud to do that kinda work in the long run that is what matters, recently I did a care facility where we celebrated a lady that was 105 years old and also was haveing her 61 year wedding anversary to her husband of 101 in the same day , those are the day you dont forget .

Guys, as you know, I don't do nursing homes, assisted living facilities or anything like that, and I am active in a group that lobbies and tracks nursing home abuse and neglect.


All of that aside, I admire you for what you do. And, I can see you are sincere about feeling good about providing enjoyment to residents.


GOOD WORK!

R.

Great story, Bill ... thanks for sharing ... I have never seen audiences as appreciative as the ones I have played for in NH, assisted living homes, etc. ...
Sometimes I wonder as we play different gigs - restaurants, parties etc. - if at times we don't take the talent we have for granted, in that we go out, play, have a good time, get paid, and go home ... It is playing in the NH, assisted living home environment that really makes me think of fortunately BLESSED we are to be able to provide people with a few moments of joy and happiness, and perhaps even some escape from the physical and/or emotional pain they may have ...
Keep up the great work ...

Well said Tony!

All so very true. Let's face it, most of us are 'getting up there' ourselves and none of us knows how long we can continue to do this. As Tony just said, we really are blessed with this talent, and this is exactly why we should rock till we drop and bring some light into our audiences' lives, however fragile they may be. Keep up the good work, guys.

I always felt that no matter what age your audience is you should ALWAYS give 150% when you perform no matter how you do it to make them have a good time.....Happiness is AGELESS!

Hi Bill

I must say I was inspired by your blog on that nice thing you did for that lady. You are a good guy and we (planet earth) need a lot more people like you.

I played at a RED CROSS Christmas party in Dec 2011 for senior citizens in my area and I got so much fulfillment and joy looking at these people having a ball. A 91year old lady got up to sing a song and she was great fun, particularly when she put the mic to her ear( as in telephone) to sing.

Keep up the great work Bill, you are setting a fine example for us all on the forum.

Great story Bill...and obviously a very moving experience for both you and Mary.

New Years Eve, I donated some playing time for a local drug/alcohol recovery group...very rewarding, plus I had a great time.

Keep up your good work.

Ian

Great story, Bill. I know your feeling about doing that. In my few years doing this, I've foud that talking with the folksa after the job is as rewarding as playing; they thirst for that connection to somenoe.

Taking a little turn here, this would have been a great situation for your voice and a Korg Micro Arranger. God bless you, good friend.

Great story, Bill. I know your feeling about doing that. In my few years doing this, I've foud that talking with the folksa after the job is as rewarding as playing; they thirst for that connection to somenoe.

Taking a little turn here, this would have been a great situation for your voice and a Korg Micro Arranger. God bless you, good friend.

Thanks guys...

I agree with many of the sentiments above. I believe with all my heart that this work, while paying the bills of course, has also given back to me ten fold. Patty and I have had, in some ways but no worse than what many of you have dealt with I'm sure, a pretty rough road the last ten years or so with our oldest daughter's mental health issues, suicide attempts and now drug rehab. There were plenty of days in that time when the only moments of a day, or a week that made any sense were those spent behind the keyboard and looking out at my audience. Every day a different group of walkers and wheelchairs, missing limbs, feedtubes, IV's hung and dripping, visible skin tears, the random grimaces (hopefully not related to my performance, lol...)not to mention the mind-blowing aspect that Father Time has tapped each one of them on the shoulder and whispered to them, "It won't be long..."

Mortality is some intense sh*t, boys and girls. I hope I'm half as together as some of these folks are. (I suspect pure madness will take over as some point and I"ll be the guy they can't bring to group activities for a variety of reasons, lol...)

Among the many gifts it gave back to me on a daily basis was perspective. We all have problems, worries, fears. It is among our most human of qualities to find relief among friends. For the time that I'm with them, they're the most important people in my world.

Thanks to all of you for reading.

I have been taken to task by some here for not finding a couple of hours a month to play at nursing homes or assisted living places.

Here's what I do:
* In the 2 hours it would take to set-up; tear down and play, I write an op ed piece on an aspect of nursing home reform that is picked up by 10 newspapers with a total readership of nearly 10 million.

* Or, I travel to the state capital to lobby for reform.

* I play one job a month and donate the proceedings ($250-500)to Kentuckians for Nursing home Reform.

In top of that:
* I'm a pretty good player, but a terrible entertainer...
just don't have the skills some of you have in that area.

* I spent 5 days a week in "for profit" nursing homes in the last 14 years trying to protect loved ones. Generally, the best there is are AWFUL (ever see ANY oral care in any place you've been in? You won't. Carefully watch the feeding process. That's generally a real eye opener).

Keep up the good work. I'm with you in spirit...I just have to concentrate my efforts on things I can do that maximize my effectiveness. To most marginal area nursing homes, I am "the enemy". They make me sick!

Russ Lay
Board Member: Kentuckians for Nursing Home Reform.