Through The Intercom, Nursing Home Employee Sings To Residents
For as long as she can remember, Ashley Moore has loved to sing.
“Singing is just, it’s in my blood,” Moore said. “I’ve been doing it all my life.”
A licensed practical nurse, Moore works at Perry County Nursing Home in Marion, Alabama. When she first started the job about three years ago, she would occasionally hum a tune while walking the halls. A few residents started to notice, and they loved it.
“From then on, I sang, because … you know they’re living in a nursing home, this is where they’re going to be,” Moore said. “I don’t exactly know how they’re feeling at the moment. But if I can do anything to brighten their day, I will.”
Moore started singing during activities and church services, and she would even meet one-on-one with residents to sing their favorite songs.
But earlier this year, that kind of thing became more difficult.
The coronavirus has spread through most nursing homes in Alabama, including Perry County. Since March, people have not been able to visit in person and there have not been as many group activities, including group singing.
It has been a difficult time, according to 75-year old Fannie Bates, a Perry County Nursing Home resident.
“These past few months have been, I don’t know, it’s very lonesome,” Bates said. “Cause most people used to see their family, you know getting together and everything.”
Ashley Moore said it’s also been stressful for staff. With the restrictions and health risks, she said employees can’t interact with residents like they used to, and at the same time, residents are more confused and isolated.
“We were just trying to figure out ways to continue to try to keep some kind of normalcy in there,” Moore said.
Sharon Phillips, the administrator at Perry County Nursing Home, said one idea was to use the loudspeaker to deliver inspiring messages. But they needed a volunteer.
“Ashley said ‘I will,’ and she got on the pager and said a prayer and then started singing on her own,” Phillips said.
In the middle of the hallway, in her purple scrubs, Moore belted gospel hymns throughout the facility. Moore said she’s sung a lot over the years, but this time, it was different.
“The reaction was nothing like I thought it would be,” she said. “Everybody hears me sing. I didn’t know that those words to that song meant so much to them. People were even crying.”
Fannie Bates was among them. Bates, who is one of Moore’s biggest fans, said every song is spiritual and that comes through in Moore’s voice.
“She (Moore) does a great job with singing and a great meaning to it,” Bates said, “and I just love something like that.”
Bates also loves to sing, and she said it makes her feel better, even when she’s lonely.
The DOJ charged a former Indian intelligence official in a foiled assassination plot
The indictment against Vikash Yadav points to a direct link between the Indian government and what prosecutors say was a murder-for-hire scheme on American soil.
Phoenix police allegedly beat, repeatedly tased deaf Black man who has cerebral palsy
The August incident is under investigation by the police department's internal affairs division and is being reviewed by the Maricopa County Attorney's Office.
Prada and Axiom Space reveal modernized NASA spacesuits for the 2026 moon landing
The suits will be used for NASA’s Artemis III mission, marking humankind’s first return to the moon since 1972. It will see the first woman and the first person of color walk on the moon.
Fentanyl deaths in the U.S. have dropped faster than expected, CDC says
If the downward trend holds, this year is expected to be the first since 2020 to see overdose deaths fall below the 100,000 mark. However, Black and Native American communities remain vulnerable.
Judge unseals Ruben Gallego divorce filing that has hovered over Arizona senate race
An Arizona judge unsealed Gallego divorce filings Wednesday, rejecting efforts to keep the records hidden. Yet the filings did not offer the October surprise the Democratic Senate candidate's rival, Kari Lake, was hoping it would.
A father and son are indicted on murder charges in Georgia high school shooting
The grand jury indicted 14-year-old Colt Gray on 55 counts, including murder, aggravated assault and cruelty to children. His father, Colin Gray, faces 29 counts including second-degree murder.
