Volunteer Extraordinaire !

Every few weeks, local musician Jeremy Swan heads into one of his favourite standing gigs. It’s not like his other gigs at pubs, clubs and weddings but Jeremy absolutely loves performing for our beloved residents at Loreto Home of Compassion and it’s fair to say that our residents and staff love it, too!

The idea of volunteering at Loreto came from a conversation Jeremy had with his mum, Therese, who was working at The Forrest Centre at the time.

“Mum’s been working in aged care for the past 20 years at various places and when we were kids, we would go in and play piano there. Last year, she proposed I should just kind of keep that idea going.

“There's a piano at Loreto, and sometimes I bring my guitar and microphone and sing as well. It’s just about entertaining them for an hour or so.”

We know that music can improve people’s emotional wellbeing and encourage physical movement. It can also have an impact on cognitive function. For Jeremy, the happiness live music brings to the residents is clear.

“Music can be very healing and to have someone kind of perform it in front of you I think is a little bit special. I think it kind of transports them back to a time where they're listening to the old Elvis tunes or the Beatles tunes, and I think it triggers their memories. They start singing along. Music is a powerful transporter, so I think it makes them reminisce about those days and just brings them joy.

“Being able to go to Loreto, play the piano, and see the smiles on the residents’ faces and then hearing feedback saying that they're all very appreciative is quite extraordinary for me.

“It warms my heart just to know these elderly people are not forgotten. Mum instilled the appreciation towards and value of the elderly inside us, and I love that music can bring a little bit of happiness to their day. It also makes me feel less self-absorbed, less self-centered. Rather, it instils more compassion in your daily life and more thoughts towards other people.”

Jeremy hopes that other people will volunteer because it’s both helpful to organisations like The Forrest Centre and rewarding for the people who give their time.

“If you're looking for those kinds of expansive values, definitely volunteer something. It doesn't have to be music, it can be anything they need, but seeing how it affects other people is the only reason anyone needs to volunteer. It's really precious.”

If you’d like to donate some of your valuable time, like Jeremy, it’s easy. Simply contact Mary Potter Nursing Home on 02 6932 3011 and/or Loreto Home of Compassion on 02 6971 5715 to register your interest.