By Luke Voogt
A group of veteran singers are battling dementia in Geelong nursing homes with a healthy dose of song.
The spritely Belmont Rhythmic Singers have toured the city and its surrounds bringing the elderly “back to life,” said group co-ordinator Ross Robinson.
A group of veteran singers are battling dementia in Geelong nursing homes with a healthy dose of song.
The spritely Belmont Rhythmic Singers have toured the city and its surrounds bringing the elderly “back to life,” said group co-ordinator Ross Robinson.
“As soon as we sing these old ever-green songs they start to remember. They’ll be up doing a foxtrot with their walkers.”
Ross described the reaction of a woman in a Whittington nursing home who had had dementia for four years and spoke little English.
“She sang along with us and knew every word, despite it being her second language,” Ross said.
The elderly harmony group featured noteworthy singers like 90-year-old Reg O’Neil and former Victorian MP Rod Mackenzie.
“But we don’t hold that against him,” Ross said.
The young-at-heart Reg performed in Tasmanian theatre and locally in a career spanning 66 years.
“It’s wonderful watching the reaction of the people we’re singing to and seeing them come alive,” he said.
But Ross insisted the men sang mainly for the love of music.
“We’re just a group of blokes who are past the mainstream music,” he said.
“When we’re on song we’re loud enough that the deaf can hear us,” added fellow member Max Abery.
A number of studies have identified music as a method of combating Alzheimer’s.
ABC’s Catalyst aired an episode exploring the method earlier this year.
