With social isolation of elderly people reaching epidemic proportions before the COVID-19 pandemic, visitor restrictions and lockdown laws have removed some of the last remaining outside-interactions that residents hold so dearly.
Like many special visitors to aged care homes, professional singer Colette ‘Coco’ Hawley has been unable to perform for her beloved residents in person, but not even lockdown was enough to stop this Chicago native from ensuring that they felt special.
I rented a Cherry Picker to sing to seniors(close but not too close!)for Memorial Day.This is an unbelievably hard time for them. I love & value our seniors. NO ONE IS DISPENSABLE.
Offering free shows to nursing homes. ❤️coco @maddow pic.twitter.com/FzlDiQcPar— Colette Hawley (@HawleyColette) May 24, 2020
Taking performance to ‘new-heights’ is in most cases a phrase that embodies an improved level of showmanship, but Ms Hawley has managed to do just that, both literally and figuratively.
In a completely selfless act, Ms Hawley went out and rented herself an industrial-sized cherry-picker as a means to get closer to residents while she put on a free-show outside of a local multi-level nursing home.
Ms. Hawley shared her thoughts on the unique performance with fans via her Twitter account.
“I rented a Cherry Picker to sing to seniors (close but not too close!) for Memorial Day. This is an unbelievably hard time for them. I love & value our seniors. NO ONE IS DISPENSABLE. Offering free shows to nursing homes. 💖 coco.”
Ms Hawley has been performing free-shows for nursing home residents for five years, all of which are deeply appreciative of being able to hear amazing renditions of some of the most well-known hits from yesteryear.
However, her latest performance managed to enthrall both the residents and locals who were stunned to hear a soulful rendition of Little Richard’s, Tutti Frutti, being performed through a megaphone from a platform in the sky.
Despite the elaborate change of venue, Ms Hawley’s mesmerising performance still managed to capture the hearts and minds of her isolated elderly audience.
A bunch of residents couldn’t contain themselves and actually ventured outside to dance along, many of whom were grooving along to the songs from their wheelchairs.
During an interview with CBS News, Ms Hawley revealed that maintaining this level of human connection was extremely beneficial for her personal wellbeing as well as her elderly audience.
“There were people on the street, neigbours were dancing, I mean – It was probably the most significant human contact that I’ve had throughout the pandemic. It was just fantastic.”
Photo Credit – iStock – dossyl
