This Saturday (July 17), KinVillage care home residents will be tapping their feet and dancing along to the live band playing from their patio.
By having some windows opened, the music will still be able to travel into the care home for residents to hear and also see playing in front of them, says Bettina Salini, director of wellness at KinVillage.
“It’s really about bringing joy and memories, but especially because of COVID, the joy factor is super important … we believe in the healing power of music and that it can truly and deeply affect you for the better in a transformative and healing way,” says Natasha Mihell, Heart For Music program planner.
Salini says she is very excited to see the live band, MAD Jazz LIVE, perform and knows that residents are going to love the entertainment.
“They have taught us this last year what patience, resilience is and what it looks like … we’ve learned so much from them on how to look at things from a perspective that we never lived in our generation,” said Salini. “They’ve lived through war, some of them have lived through the Depression, too, and those who come from other places, the different political economic situations that have happened. They’ve gone through a lot.”
Since 2019, Rick’s Heart Foundation has brought music to various care homes throughout the Greater Vancouver area as part of their Heart For Music program, including to KinVillage where they donated MP3 players, iPod Touches and headphones that year.
“For these seniors who, especially during COVID-19, have been so isolated and affected by the bigger pandemic of loneliness and mental health struggles, they’re able to be transformed through this,” added Mihell.
Rick’s Heart Foundation leads and funds programs for people marginalized by poverty, addiction, personal crises and isolation. And, specifically, the Heart For Music program was inspired by founder Rick Diamond’s personal experience with his late father, who suffered from dementia.
Salini hopes this event will be the beginning of many more as the pandemic gets under control, as she emphasizes just how important socializing and having joy in life is to health and wellness.
