On Day 17 of the #DAI #Hello blog series for #WAM2018, we introduce you to a group of people who live in a residential aged care facility in New Zealand, called the Selwyn Singers. Instead of highlighting one member, we wanted to highlight this group, and their performance which was recorded especially for DAI's very first World Rocks Against Dementia #WRAD2018 event held in March.
This wonderful group of Super Stars (the singers) are Mary Bubs Johnson, Erick Deverick, Lois Jackson, Valerie Harris, Barbara Manterfield, Dorothy Mayo, Lillian Neilson, Jill Renner, Julie Mellsop and Airlie Seay. On the day of the recording, they were supported by staff, including the Diversional Therapist Annaleise Van Ham, the Activities Coordinator Alice Halavaka and the Group Diversional Therapist Orquidea Tamayo Mortera. We thank them all for being involved and sharing their lives through their beautiful singing.
What a beautiful world, by the Selwyn Singers
The Selwyn Foundation Singers
The group is made of residents living in care homes such as; our memory support home, our hospital care home and our residential care homes. They practiced for a good 3 months to get the song right J knowing that it was going to be showed to a very special group of people across the planet.
It was very meaningful as Selwyn Village is the home for almost 700 older adults and this special group needed support to meet in the village community center, as they were coming from all different homes on the day we filmed it.
The Selwyn Foundation homes (where we work and the residents live) has gained lots of awards and recognition in New Zealand for the way we support our elders to keep engage in life through meaningful diversional therapy programs that are person centred. But we are also working in strategies to help to make new Zealand ageing friendly and dementia friendly communities everywhere. Our residents do anything and we support them to fulfil their dreams and aspirations