Buried
in the stacks of nursing home news covering healthcare and other politics is a
special kind of news that captures the overlooked vitality of senior residents
and the heartfelt emotions experienced by staff and residents alike.
During
the month of January 2014, quite a few stories caught our eyes that are worth
sharing. These stories made us laugh,
smile, and even cry. Not because we were
sad, but because of the connection we made with the story and the people involved
– like the people we see day-in and day-out who give meaning to our lives.
If
you've ever come across a story about nursing homes that has touched your heart
or made you smile or laugh, feel free to share it in the comment section below.
Now,
for the headlines …
Nursing Home Calendar Features Residents in Prominent Acting Roles
iPods Offer Nursing Homes Residents Sounds and Memories of the Past
Music
and Memory, a non-profit dedicated to collecting unused iPods for people in
nursing homes, has successfully expanded its program to 341 homes in 35 states
and 8 countries, according to Fox News.
The founder of Music and Memory, Dan Cohen, was inspired to create the non-profit
in 2006 after thinking about the ubiquity of technology but the lack of it in nursing
homes.
Recently,
he spoke to Fox News about what inspired him to create Music and Memory:
I was listening to a journalist on the radio talking about how iPods are ubiquitous, and I said, "If I’m ever in a nursing home, would I be able to have my favorite 60s music?" I did a search of iPods and nursing homes, and even though there are 16,000 (nursing homes) in the United States, I couldn’t find one using iPods.
Now,
thanks to Music and Memory, residents in at least 341 homes throughout the
world are listening to their favorite songs – songs they can easily share with
friends down the hall, and songs they can use to remember people and places of
the past.
