Playing in Hospitals

ancient

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Has anyone played in hospitals for patients?
If you have,how did it go? I have been thinking about contacting some hospiatls to find out about playing music for some of the patients.
 
I played often for my uncle, when he was in rehab and the hospital. He loved it, as did his room mates. (I always asked his room mates first, if they would mind). Often, I had people standing outside the door listening and smiling. At the rehab center they have people coming during the week to play in the rec room (including two ukulele players). You could call and ask, but I found it VERY rewarding on so many levels, and plan to start doing something more on a regular basis....
 
Has anyone played in hospitals for patients?
If you have,how did it go? I have been thinking about contacting some hospiatls to find out about playing music for some of the patients.

Excellent idea. As soon as I get a little better at this, I intend to play in some nursing homes, Alzheimer's facilities, etc. it can make a huge difference in people's lives where the days can be very long and trying for both residents and caregivers.
 
Great idea! Thought about doing this for folks in nursing homes. My dad was a nursing home administrator for a period of time and it was always very sad to observe the lonely people that rarely had visitors. I'm sure a friendly face playing some of their old favorite songs would cheer them up tremendously!
 
i have. all the time.my unit supervisor at the hospital where i work ,actually encourage me to play for the patients more often.i also play the piano on the rehab unit every other weekend.
Has anyone played in hospitals for patients?
If you have,how did it go? I have been thinking about contacting some hospiatls to find out about playing music for some of the patients.
 
I took a uke for my first childs birth. My wife was induced and I played for a while then she ended up having surgery.

Which is better than:
My wife was induced and I played for a while then I ended up having surgery for the removal of a ukelele

H
 
Lil' Rev sometimes describes himself as "The King of the Nursing Home Circuit in the Greater Milwaukee Area".

One thing to consider, hospitals are busier during the day when the Dr's are making rounds and a lot of the treatments and lab work, X-rays, etc., etc., are being done. Evenings are quieter and will probably work better for the staff. Visiting hours are often in the evening and it might be nice for the families to enjoy the music as well.
 
My dad lives in a rehabilitation center in Florida and at his facility there's entertainment every Wednesday afternoon. I know he looks forward to it. I'd like to get a group together here in the San Francisco area to play in rehabilitation centers, nursing homes and possibly hospitals, especially during the holidays. My every-other-Sunday meetup group has had difficulty figuring out who to get in touch with or, perhaps, being taken seriously. Not to hijack this thread, but if anyone has any ideas about how to offer to play at rehabilitation centers and similar facilities, please post them here.
 
Mike is entirely correct---actual acute care hospitals (as opposed to nursing homes) don;t want musical instruments, dogs, etc., on the floors during daytime hours. There is too much going on, too much patient stress, testing, nursing staff meetings, doctors rounding, orders being given, procedures done at the bedside, patient discharges and admissions... it needs air traffic control for ill people.

In the evening, when all is quiet, most acute hospital floors have a commons area, typically in a closed room, with a more communal atmosphere, and they likely would permit a scheduled performance by a uke. A local physical therapist in my local acute care hospital would play the piano in the communal room on some evenings, he is a virtuoso. I think he had at least two, if not three, people show up almost every time he played.

A long-term care facility or nursing home is entirely different, and would welcome openly your time and expertise on the uke, I'm sure, ancient.
 
There was nice thread on this topic recently.

I applaud your interest in helping others. However, as a person who has worked in a hospital and also dealt with hospitalizations of critically ill family members, I wonder if you might want to consider approaching rehab facilities or long-term care facilities instead. Hospitals can be very emotional places--families and family members are sometimes in crisis and making stressful life and death decisions about loved ones. Not everyone will find a ukulele a welcome distraction under those circumstances, regardless of how well-meaning the player is.

On the other hand, I suspect that most patients and family members in a rehab facility, a nursing home, or other types of long-term care facilities would be very welcoming to a cheerful ukulele player.
 
My dad lives in a rehabilitation center in Florida and at his facility there's entertainment every Wednesday afternoon. I know he looks forward to it. I'd like to get a group together here in the San Francisco area to play in rehabilitation centers, nursing homes and possibly hospitals, especially during the holidays. My every-other-Sunday meetup group has had difficulty figuring out who to get in touch with or, perhaps, being taken seriously. Not to hijack this thread, but if anyone has any ideas about how to offer to play at rehabilitation centers and similar facilities, please post them here.

I think most facilities have a social worker, that'd probably be the person to approach.
 
Not to hijack this thread, but if anyone has any ideas about how to offer to play at rehabilitation centers and similar facilities, please post them here.

Mark, it is the Nursing Home Administrator that has final say on all things of this nature at the extended care facility; not just policy, but actually approving the act and time and place--most are open to phone calls. The Director of Nursing is typically the second in charge for these types of decisions (believe it or not). Finally, larger facilities have an actual Activities Coordinator...and they are looking for things to bring to the seniors.
 
I'm in the hospital right now with my wife who is here to have a baby.

Oh, congratulations, collarbone and Mrs. collarbone--and a hearty welcome to the new little one!
 
I was visiting my pop in the hospital last month, and although I had my 'ukulele with me (I had just arrived in town) I did not offer to play. He had not yet heard me and I didn't want to take over the room, plus there was always someone coming in to check on something. Decided to lay low, but when he came home (the next day) I played and he loved it. I kept "forgetting" to put my 'uke away when I discovered that he would pick it up and give it a strum. :D (I should add that he used to be the administrator of the hospital he was in, so I doubt anyone would have objected if I had played, but as I said there was a bit of activity, even in the evening, and we were also hoping he would get some sleep.)

I would suggest, based only on my own experience of having spent lots of time as a hospital visitor, that nursing homes and longer-term care facilities might be a better use of your 'uke power. You would have a chance to build a rapport with the audience (even if there is some turnover, there would be an opportunity to establish a relationship). Part of the fun for the patients would be looking forward to your visits.

Hospitals these days try to get patients home as quickly as possible. While patients, and even staff, might enjoy the entertainment, I don't think they are in as much need of it as patients in other facilities. Just my opinion. And of course, if you are wanting to play for someone specific, a friend or a family member, that is a different story.

Kudos to you for reaching out to people in need of 'uke joy! I'm sure you will find an eager audience.
 
Whenever a friend of mine is in the hopsital, I take the uke over and play for them...if it's during the day, I close the door...lots of times, the nurses come in and listen too...once a physician and his assistant did, and then thakned me. I always take it to work, and have played lots in NHs and ALFs...an Activites Director asked me once when I would be avaialble again...none of them have thrown me out, although after 9PM it's usually bedtime, and I usually have to put it away...I have put unruly, fidgety residents to sleep playing (not hitting them over the head) and the staff was very grateful...
 
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