<\/p>\n
At 95, Corry Ogyden has fond memories of attending bands when she was younger.<\/p>\n
These days, Ms Ogyden, a resident at an assisted living facility in Carnegie, Victoria, hangs with a less rowdy crowd.<\/p>\n
But she appreciates live entertainment nonetheless.<\/p>\n
“I’ve been to many live bands over the years, including the big stage shows like AC\/DC,” she said.<\/p>\n
“It’s very important to have live performers visit us each week, it triggers memories.<\/p>\n
“It’s also helpful to their [residents’] health and wellbeing, encouraging people to be social.”<\/p>\n
A performer and an advocate for older Australians want to ensure live entertainment continues to be central to leisure activities for aged care residents and is not replaced with more passive forms of entertainment.\u00a0<\/p>\n Corry Ogyden loves the weekly live performances provided by her caretakers. (Supplied: Lifeview residential care<\/span>)<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n Ventriloquist Natalie May from Albion Park, NSW has crafted a career making people giggle.<\/p>\n But post-COVID, she has concerns that funding for live performances in aged care residences has diminished, reducing opportunities for the human connection they offer.<\/p>\n Ms May believes live performances are life-changing for residents, and budgets should be allocated to pay performers before the service disappears.<\/p>\n “Residents love the old-school ventriloquism and singing, but nursing homes aren’t allocating funding for live entertainment,” she said.<\/p>\n “Taking in the puppets and making residents laugh and sing, you can’t put a price on that.”<\/p>\n Loading…<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Although aged care providers include their budget allocation for lifestyle activities in reports to the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, data is not collected on funds allocated specifically to live entertainment.<\/p>\n A department spokesperson said the Australian National Aged Care Classification funding model includes money for entertainment, but it is up to providers to determine how they allocate their funding.<\/p>\n They said requirements were being clarified under the new Aged Care Act 2024 and Aged Care Rules 2025, with a new rule that at least one recreational or social activity each day is not screen-based, television-based or meal-based.<\/p>\n Whether that includes live entertainment will depend upon the provider, who must consult residents and families for feedback, they said.<\/p>\nVentriloquist speaks out<\/h2>\n
Laughter is the best medicine<\/h2>\n