The covid pandemic lockdowns and the the floods have had a significant impact on the elderly of Lismore. Local geriatrician Rachel Jones decide to create the Beating Hearts of Lismore singing group.
Rachel was inspired to start the singing group after the success the ‘Forget Me Nots’ that was formed in Grafton by her mother in 2018.
‘Seeing how successful the Grafton group was, it was inspiring. In the wake of the floods and COVID-19 lockdowns, events which had a dramatic impact on our older community, it was obvious there was a need for a similar program here,’ said Rachel.
Rachel founded the group in May this year to support social connection, mental wellbeing and cognition for older people.
A free weekly event held on Mondays during the school term from 10-11:30am (or just turn up) at Lismore Heights Sports, Recreation and Community Club, Beating Hearts of Lismore is an opportunity for the community to come together and enjoy the healing power of music. Interested people can contact Shirley on 0402 244 410.
The program aims to reach older people who may be experiencing social isolation, people with age-related conditions such as Parkinson’s disease and dementia, and their carers.
We sing, we move, we have morning tea and it’s all free for the community,’ said Rachel.
‘We do what we call ‘chair dancing’ – for a song like ‘Home Among the Gumtrees’, people sit or stand up and perform the actions. These movements have a myriad of health benefits, including falls prevention by improving flexibility, strength and balance.
‘The mental health benefits are every bit as prevalent and we’ve seen reduced rates of social isolation, increased connectedness, lower rates of depressed mood, and improved behaviours in regard to complex dementia.
‘There are some amazing friendships forming – everyone knows everyone, so if someone doesn’t turn up, we ring them and do a welfare check.
‘These are benefits that go beyond the program. If there was another flood, the people in the group would be among the most vulnerable and we would know to check in on them,’ she said.
‘There are dementia-specific choirs around Australia – ours is more of a singalong than a choir – and they are emerging because music therapy has huge benefits for older people.
‘We can see there’s a growing need for this and ideally we will see similar groups start up in nearby towns.
‘We have people travelling from Kyogle, Evans Head, Ballina, Casino – it would be great to have something closer to them to reduce the travel.’
Winner
The singing group has been named winner of the September round of Greater Bank’s #GreaterNorthernRivers Community Funding Program.
‘Beating Hearts of Lismore hasn’t even been going for six months and already they have had a massive impact, thanks largely to the efforts of the volunteers who turn up every week,’ Scott McCluskey, Greater Northern Rivers Regional Sales Manager said.
These people not only give their time, they also bring along delicious, home-cooked morning tea to ensure the members of the group get a great feed.
‘Music, movement, mates and morning tea – they’re the basics of life but they make all the difference in the world.
‘So to the volunteers who make this group possible, we say a big and heartfelt thank you!’
While the Beating Hearts of Lismore runs on volunteers, Rachel said the $2,000 they have won by taking out the September round of Greater Bank’s Community Funding Program will go a long way.
‘We want to thank Greater Bank for this funding, which really helps with the longevity of the program,’ she said.
‘We have costs – from basic administrative needs such as folders, stationery and name tags, through to ways we want to invest in the program to make it even more impactful, such as purchasing more microphones and more speakers,’ she explained.
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