Elderly residents of assisted living homes could once enjoy musical performances and on-site entertainment. But the coronavirus pandemic means those events are canceled to protect residents in the homes who pose a high risk for COVID-19.
Kimberly Bachman is a part time traveling musician. She plays banjo, mandolin and guitar under the stage name Kimberly Kaye. This year, she had a plan to tour the state. Specifically, she wanted to perform her style of old time country, bluegrass music at nursing homes across South Dakota.
“My mom had alzheimer's and she really connected with music.”
Bachman scheduled a tour to visit all 107 licensed nursing homes in the state in honor of her mother who passed away and hoped to...
“Play music, tell stories and connect with these folks who can not get out. Just share some moments with them and learn about them. I was very excited about that and I had it all scheduled and then this hit and of course I don’t want to travel from nursing home to nursing home taking germs with me.”
In fact that’s why nursing homes and assisted living facilities are closed to all non-emergency visitors. Bachman refers to the money her touring makes as the ‘banjo’ money. It goes into their leisure fund.
“I’m a traveling musician and so I don’t play a lot locally-I go down the road. And the biggest change to me is that my car is sitting in the garage and barely started up. I’m sure my husband loves the miles not getting put on that vehicle right now, but.”
Bachman has rescheduled her tour of South Dakota nursing homes for next year.