Lifting the spirits: Jazz band entertains aged care residents

Chris Campbell, left, Aidan Romain, Nicholas Harman, Ciaren Rountree.

While the rest of the country is getting back to the new normal, life in residential aged care remains much as it has been throughout the Covid-19 lockdown as health risks to residents in care remain high.

"This means that for residents, beyond nominated immediate family members being able to have limited access, visits from others can't happen," Kapiti Retirement Trust chief executive Wendy Huston said.

"The pre-Covid-19 wide range of activities and entertainers residents use to enjoy continue to be unavailable.

"However, where there's a will, there's a way, and this was demonstrated when Kapiti Retirement Trust's lifestyle and leisure team manager Dene Hopkins organised for local jazz quartet Look Both Ways to entertain from a garden which adjoins the dining room of Paraparaumu's Sevenoaks Retirement Village's aged care facility called the Lodge."

Members of Look Both Ways jazz quartet are Year 12 and Year 13 students at Paraparaumu College.

The talented quartet consists of Chris Campbell on base guitar, Aidan Romain on keyboard, Nicholas Harman on alto saxophone and Ciaran Rountree who plays tenor saxophone and clarinet.

"With their wide repertoire of classics from the jazz age their polished and professional performance was a total hit with Lodge residents who enjoyed the performance from the Lodge dining room and from adjacent bedrooms," Wendy said.

"The group had performed in the Lodge prior to lockdown and adapted well to the changed environment.

"Life in the Lodge may be different but ensuring residents have the best quality of life possible remains paramount to staff at the trust."