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.
New York Giants hire John Harbaugh as coach after identifying him as their top choice
Harbaugh joins the Giants 11 days after he was fired by the Baltimore Ravens. The Super Bowl champion is now tasked with turning around a beleaguered franchise.
US launches new retaliatory strike in Syria, killing leader tied to deadly Islamic State ambush
A third round of retaliatory strikes by the U.S. in Syria has resulted in the death of an Al-Qaeda-affiliated leader, said U.S. Central Command.
NASA rolls out Artemis II craft ahead of crewed lunar orbit
Mission Artemis plans to send Americans to the moon for the first time since the Nixon administration.
Trump says 8 EU countries to be charged 10% tariff for opposing US control of Greenland
In a post on social media, Trump said a 10% tariff will take effect on Feb. 1, and will climb to 25% on June 1 if a deal is not in place for the United States to purchase Greenland.
‘Not for sale’: massive protest in Copenhagen against Trump’s desire to acquire Greenland
Thousands of people rallied in Copenhagen to push back on President Trump's rhetoric that the U.S. should acquire Greenland.
Uganda’s longtime leader declared winner in disputed vote
Museveni claims victory in Uganda's contested election as opposition leader Bobi Wine goes into hiding amid chaos, violence and accusations of fraud.
